National Reference Laboratory for Bees and
Other Useful Insect Diseases

1. NRL experts

• NRL coordinator

  Bg. Gabriela Chioveanu, PhD in medical sciences, veterinary medicine speciality
  tel. 0374.322.051
  e–mail: gabriela.chioveanu@idah.ro

• NRL deputy coordinator

  Dr. Popescu Alina, PhD candidate; post-university studies in veterinary laboratory diagnosis

• Team working

  Ch. Nica Daniela, PhD in biology
  Dr. Bărbuceanu Florica, PhD in medical sciences, veterinary medicine specialty
  Dr. Adameşteanu Mihail
  Bg. Cioranu Raluca, master
  Dr. Sandu Alina-Cristiana
  Dr. Cătuşanu Şerban

2. Correspondent Community Reference Laboratory

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3. Specific atributions

• The specialists working in this NRL have the responsibility for drawing up the handbook „Diagnosis Manual for Bees and other Useful Insect Diseases”.
• They also perform the changes and/or supplements for „Diagnosis Manual for Bees and other Useful Insect Diseases” in accordance with new provisions of Community law and new recommendations of the World Animal Health Organization, established in „Manual of Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines for Terrestrial Animals” and „Terrestrial Animal Health Code”.
• NRL experts approve the results of validity studies proving the reliability of methods/assays used in Romania for diagnosis and surveillance of bees and other useful insect diseases.
• The experts coordinate pre-taking and drawing up the standards and diagnostic methods for diseases of bees and other useful insect in Romania.
• They carry out researches activities, assimilate and draw up the new analytical methods for laboratory diagnosis and surveillance of bees and other useful insect diseases.
• They participate together with the others national reference laboratories for bees and other useful insect diseases from Member States, to the international inter-comparison and proficiency tests organized by international reference laboratories for bees and other useful insect diseases and other international accredited institutions in the field.
• They participate to the quality assurance activities and method standardization for diagnosis, surveillance and screening of animal brucelloses, organized by international reference laboratories for bees and other useful insect diseases and other international accredited institutions in the field.
• The NRL specialists collaborate with international reference laboratories for bees and other useful insect diseases and other international accredited institutions in the field and benefit from training organized by these and supplying diagnostic standards, methods, reagents or diagnosis standards for bees and other useful insect diseases.
• The NRL experts collaborate with national reference laboratories for bees and other useful insect diseases from the others Member States, international reference laboratories of World Animal Health Organization (OIE) and other international accredited organizations in the field, in order to improve the surveillance and diagnostic capacity of bees and other useful insect diseases.
• In accordance with provisions of Diagnosis Manual, they carry out the laboratory tests/assays for diagnosis and surveillance of bees and other useful insect diseases.
• The NRL experts supply the diagnosis expertise for diseases of bees and other useful insect in case of positive, suspect and inconclusive results obtained by the sanitary veterinary and food safety county laboratories, and of Bucharest, respectively.
• The NRL experts supply the diagnosis expertise for bees and other useful insect diseases in case of dispute settlement.
• The NRL experts check and certify the diagnosis value of all diagnosis reagent batches and diagnosis sets or kits for bees and other useful insect diseases and designate their use by state sanitary veterinary laboratories from Romania.
• In preparation for yielding certain diagnosis reagents for diseases of bees and other useful insect, supplying them for all authorised sanitary veterinary and food safety laboratories.
• They coordinate the drawing up of diagnosis standards and methods for bees and other useful insect diseases used by all authorized sanitary veterinary and food safety laboratories.
• The NRL experts perform the annual inter-laboratory comparative tests for checking the diagnostic capability for diseases of bees and other useful insects for all authorized sanitary veterinary and food safety county laboratories from county sanitary veterinary and food safety directorates.
• NRL also organize training and continuous training activities, in order to teach the specialists working in the authorized sanitary veterinary and food safety laboratories, on carrying out laboratory surveillance for bees and other useful insect diseases.
• The NRL experts carry out specific activities for identification and characterization the etiological agents of bees and other useful insect diseases, and their origin.
• NRL has the responsibility to characterize the etiological agents for diseases of bees and other useful insects.
• They preserve under maximum safety conditions, the etiological agents for diseases of bees and other useful insects.
• The experts from NRL participate to the authorization of sanitary veterinary and food safety laboratories; they write down the checking files and assessment report and verify the achievement of quality insurance system conditions.
• Periodically, they communicate to the European Commission the list of authorized and accredited institutions or sanitary veterinary and food safety laboratories, having specific competences for bees and other useful insect diseases and also to notify any changes of the list.
• The NRL experts communicate, with the agreement of National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority, the information requested by European Commission, international reference laboratories for bees and other useful insect diseases, World Animal Health Organization, national reference laboratories for brucellosis from other Member States and other international accredited organizations and institutions in the field.
• The NRL experts provide, to National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority and to sanitary veterinary and food safety county directorates, and of Bucharest, respectively, the official information on bees and other useful insect diseases with the aim of establishing the national strategies and policies on bees and other useful insect diseases.
• As a second or third part, they carry out advising activities, they grant technical advice and also they perform audit activities for institutions and organizations dealing with bees and other useful insects or for those establishments of which activities involve products or by-products derived from bees and other useful insects.
• Sometimes, the experts from NRL participate to inspection and control actions directed to bees and other useful insect diseases, organized by National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority.
• In accordance with legislation in force, NRL promotes and implements the Good Laboratory Practice principles (GLP), to be used for applied research studies.
• They also participate to the drawing up, coordination, monitoring and carrying out some actions stipulated by “Programme for surveillance, prevention and control of animal diseases, those transmitted from animals to humans, animal and environmental protection”, yearly approved by National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority President’s order.
• They participate to the establishing of maximum number of samples which are to be sampled for laboratory exams, regarding bees and other useful insect diseases and the maximum number of samples for laboratory exams done on pool samples.
• They participate to the elaboration of law drafts for bees and other useful insect diseases.
• They also participate to design the technical programs, the national and international projects regarding diagnosis for diseases of bees and other useful insects and surveillance.
• The NRL experts participate or manage the research activities of national or international research programmes.

4. Activity in relation with correspondent Community Reference Laboratory

• Attendance to workshops
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• Attendance to trainings
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• Participation to the international inter–comparison and proficiency tests
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5. Activity in relation with correspondent national reference laboratories from Member States

• Attendance to workshops
  • 2008 - Sericulture, from tradition to biotechnology, organized by Sericulture International Commission, France and Greece National Reference Laboratory for Bees and Silkworm Diseases
• Attendance to trainings
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• Participation to the international inter–comparison and proficiency tests
  • 2008 - American foulbrood diagnosis, organized by International Reference Laboratory of World Animal Health Organization, CVUA, Freiburg, Germany and Belgium National Reference Laboratory for Bees and Silkworm Diseases, VAR-CCDV Brussels

6. Activity in relation with correspondent international reference laboratory

• Attendance to workshops
  • 2005 – Diagnosis and treatment of bee diseases, organized by International Reference Laboratory of World Animal Health Organization, CVUA, Freiburg, Germany
  • 2008 - Diagnosis and treatment of bee diseases, organized by International Reference Laboratory of World Animal Health Organization, CVUA, Freiburg, Germany
• Attendance to trainings
  • 2006 - Laboratory techniques used for diagnosis of bee diseases, organized by Zoophysiology Laboratory, Ghent University, Belgium
  • 2007 - Laboratory techniques used for diagnosis of bee diseases, organized by Zoophysiology Laboratory, Ghent University, Belgium
  • 2007 - Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS System), organized by Central Authority for Dairy Quality Control (COKZ) and Plant Protection Service (PD), Leusden, Netherlands
• Participation to the international inter–comparison and proficiency tests
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7. Activity in relation with other international accredited institutions in the field

• Attendance to workshops
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• Attendance to trainings
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• Participation to the international inter–comparison and proficiency tests
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8. Activity in relation with counties SVFSLs

• Workshop organization
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• Training organization
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• Performing inter–comparison and proficiency tests
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9. Activity in relation with other institutions than SVFSLs or legal and private person

• Workshop organization
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• Training organization
  • 2005 - Diagnosis methods used for bee diseases; Clinical and morphopathological diagnosis characteristics in case of intoxications, training activity performed with National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority – Animal Health Directorate
  • 2006 - Diagnosis methods used for bee diseases; Clinical and morphopathological diagnosis characteristics in case of intoxications, training activity performed with University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Zootechnics Faculty, Apiculture and Sericulture Department
  • 2007 - Diagnosis methods used for major bee infectious and parasitic diseases, training activity performed with University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Zootechnics Faculty, Apiculture and Sericulture Department
  • 2008 - Diagnosis methods used for major bee infectious and parasitic diseases, training activity performed with Institute for Research and Development in Apiculture, Bucharest
  • 2009 - Microscopical examinations used for sanitary veterinary control of reproductive materials from Bombyx mori, training activity performed with S.C. Sericarom S.A., Bucharest
• Performing inter–comparison and proficiency tests
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