National Reference Laboratory for Monitoring of Microbial
Contamination of Bivalve Molluscs

1. NRL experts

• NRL coordinator

  Dr. Popescu Alina, PhD candidate; post–university studies in veterinary laboratory diagnosis
  tel. 0374.322.020
  e–mail: alina.popescu@idah.ro

• NRL deputy coordinator

  Bg. Costea Mihaela, PhD in medical sciences, veterinary medicine; master's degree in public administration

• Team working

  Dr. Serafim Vlad, PhD candidate, post–university studies in veterinary laboratory diagnosis
  Dr. Moţiu Răzvan, master's degree in clinical and veterinary pharmacy speciality

2. Correspondent Community Reference Laboratory

• Community Reference Laboratory for Monitoring Bacteriological and Viral Contamination of Bivalve Molluscs, Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Weymouth Laboratory, Barrack Road, The Nothe, Weymouth, Dorset DT4 8UB, United Kingdom./li>

3. Specific atributions

• The specialists working in this NRL have the responsibility for drawing up the following handbook: „Manual for Monitoring of Microbial Contamination of Bivalve Molluscs”.
• They also perform the changes and/or supplements for „Manual for Monitoring of Microbial Contamination of Bivalve Molluscs” 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 Aquatic Animals” and „ Aquatic 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 microbial contamination of bivalve molluscs.
• The experts coordinate pre–taking and drawing up the standards and diagnostic methods for monitoring the microbial contamination of bivalve molluscs in Romania.
• They carry out researches activities, assimilate and draw up the new analytical methods for laboratory monitoring of microbial contamination of bivalve molluscs.
• They participate together with the others national reference laboratories for monitoring the microbial contamination of bivalve molluscs from Member States, to the international inter–comparison and proficiency tests organized by Community Reference Laboratory for Monitoring Bacteriological and Viral Contamination of Bivalve Molluscs.
• They participate to the quality assurance activities and method standardization for diagnosis, surveillance and screening for monitoring the microbial contamination of bivalve molluscs, organized by Community Reference Laboratory for Monitoring Bacteriological and Viral Contamination of Bivalve Molluscs.
• The NRL specialists collaborate with Community Reference Laboratory for Monitoring Bacteriological and Viral Contamination of Bivalve Molluscs and benefit from training organized by this and supplying diagnostic standards, methods, reagents or diagnosis standards for monitoring the microbial contamination of bivalve molluscs.
• The NRL experts collaborate with national reference laboratories for monitoring the microbial contamination of bivalve molluscs 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 for monitoring the microbial contamination of bivalve molluscs.
• In accordance with provisions of diagnosis manuals, they carry out the laboratory tests/assays for diagnosis and surveillance for monitoring the microbial contamination of bivalve molluscs.
• The NRL experts supply the diagnosis expertise for monitoring the microbial contamination of bivalve molluscs 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 monitoring the microbial contamination of bivalve molluscs, in case of dispute settlement.
• The NRL experts check and certify the diagnosis value for all diagnosis reagent batches and diagnosis sets or kits for monitoring the microbial contamination of bivalve molluscs and designate their use by state sanitary veterinary laboratories from Romania.
• In preparation for yielding certain diagnosis reagents for monitoring the microbial contamination of bivalve molluscs, supplying them for all authorised sanitary veterinary and food safety laboratories.
• They coordinate the drawing up of diagnosis standards and methods for monitoring the microbial contamination of bivalve molluscs 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 monitoring the microbial contamination of bivalve molluscs, 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 microbial contamination of bivalve molluscs.
• The NRL experts proceed specific activities, in order to identify and characterize the microbial agents causing bivalve molluscs dieseases, their origin, type, subtype and variant.
• NRL has the responsibility to characterize the microbial agent strains causing bivalve molluscs dieseases, their genetic typing and designing the epidemiological genetic charts.
• They preserve these microbial agent strains, under maximum safety conditions.
• 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 monitoring the microbial contamination of bivalve molluscs 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, Community Reference Laboratory for Monitoring Bacteriological and Viral Contamination of Bivalve Molluscs, World Animal Health Organization, national reference laboratories for monitoring microbial contamination of bivalve molluscs 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 monitoring the microbial contamination of bivalve molluscs, with the aim of establishing the national strategies and policies on monitoring the microbial contamination of bivalve molluscs.
• 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 involve in aquaculture animals or for those enterprises of which activities involve products or by–products derived from aquaculture animals.
• Sometimes, the experts from NRL participate to inspection and control actions directed to monitor the microbial contamination of bivalve molluscs, 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 monitoring the microbial contamination of bivalve molluscs, the maximum number of samples for laboratory exams done on pool samples and to calibration of national reference secondary sera against international primary standard sera.
• They participate to the elaboration of law drafts for monitoring the microbial contamination of bivalve molluscs.
• They also participate to design the technical programs, the national and international projects regarding microbial contamination of bivalve molluscs.
• The NRL experts participate or manage the research activities of national or international research programmes on microbial contamination of bivalve molluscs.

4. Activity in relation with correspondent Community Reference Laboratory

• Attendance to workshops organized by Community Reference Laboratory for Monitoring Bacteriological and Viral Contamination of Bivalve Molluscs
  • 2003 – E. coli counting method in bivalve molluscs, Salmonella detection in bivalve molluscs, norovirus detection in bivalve molluscs, V. parahaemolyticus detection in bivalve molluscs
  • 2004 – E. coli counting method in bivalve molluscs, Salmonella detection in bivalve molluscs, norovirus detection in bivalve molluscs, V. parahaemolyticus detection in bivalve molluscs
  • 2005 – E. coli counting method in bivalve molluscs, Salmonella detection in bivalve molluscs, norovirus detection in bivalve molluscs, V. parahaemolyticus detection in bivalve molluscs
  • 2006 – E. coli counting method in bivalve molluscs, Salmonella detection in bivalve molluscs, norovirus detection in bivalve molluscs, V. parahaemolyticus detection in bivalve molluscs
  • 2007 – E. coli counting method in bivalve molluscs, Salmonella detection in bivalve molluscs, norovirus detection in bivalve molluscs, V. parahaemolyticus detection in bivalve molluscs
  • 2008 – E. coli counting method in bivalve molluscs, Salmonella detection in bivalve molluscs, norovirus detection in bivalve molluscs, V. parahaemolyticus detection in bivalve molluscs
  • 2009 – E. coli counting method in bivalve molluscs, Salmonella detection in bivalve molluscs, norovirus detection in bivalve molluscs, V. parahaemolyticus detection in bivalve molluscs
• Attendance to trainings organized by Community Reference Laboratory for Monitoring Bacteriological and Viral Contamination of Bivalve Molluscs
  • 2003 – E. coli counting method in bivalve molluscs and Salmonella detection in bivalve molluscs
  • 2004 – E. coli counting method in bivalve molluscs and Salmonella detection in bivalve molluscs
  • 2005 – Detection of viral contamination in bivalve molluscs by RT – PCR
• Participation to the international inter–comparison and proficiency tests
  • 2004 – 2 participation to the proficiency test on “E. coli counting method and Salmonella detection in bivalve molluscs”, organized by Health Protection Agency, London, United Kingdom in colaboration with Comunity Reference Laboratory for monitoring of bacteriological and viral contamination of bivalve molluscs Weymouth, United Kingdom
  • 2006 – 3 participation to the proficiency test on ““E. coli counting method and Salmonella detection in bivalve molluscs”, organized by Health Protection Agency, London, United Kingdom in colaboration with Comunity Reference Laboratory for monitoring of bacteriological and viral contamination of bivalve molluscs Weymouth, United Kingdom
  • 2007 – 3 participation to the proficiency test on ““E. coli counting method and Salmonella detection in bivalve molluscs”, organized by Health Protection Agency, London, United Kingdom in colaboration with Comunity Reference Laboratory for monitoring of bacteriological and viral contamination of bivalve molluscs Weymouth, United Kingdom
  • 2007 – 1 participation to the proficiency test on ““E. coli counting method and Salmonella detection in bivalve molluscs”, organized by Comunity Reference Laboratory for monitoring of bacteriological and viral contamination of bivalve molluscs Weymouth, United Kingdom
  • 2007 – 1 participation to the inter–comparison test on “E. coli counting method and Salmonella detection in bivalve molluscs”, organized by Comunity Reference Laboratory for monitoring of bacteriological and viral contamination of bivalve molluscs Weymouth, United Kingdom
  • 2008 – 3 participation to the proficiency test on ““E. coli counting method and Salmonella detection in bivalve molluscs”, organized by Health Protection Agency, London, United Kingdom in colaboration with Comunity Reference Laboratory for monitoring of bacteriological and viral contamination of bivalve molluscs Weymouth, United Kingdom
  • 2009 – 2 participation to the proficiency test on ““E. coli counting method and Salmonella detection in bivalve molluscs”, organized by Health Protection Agency, London, United Kingdom in colaboration with Comunity Reference Laboratory for monitoring of bacteriological and viral contamination of bivalve molluscs Weymouth, United Kingdom
  • 2009 – 1 participation to the proficiency test on “E. coli counting method and Salmonella detection in bivalve molluscs”, organized by Comunity Reference Laboratory for monitoring of bacteriological and viral contamination of bivalve molluscs Weymouth, United Kingdom

5. Activity in relation with correspondent national reference laboratories from Member States

• 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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6. Activity in relation with correspondent international 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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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
  • 2009 – Processing bivalve molluscs samples for detection of bacteriological contamination (E. coli and Salmonella sp) and detection methods for bacterial contaminants in bivalve molluscs
• 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
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• Performing inter–comparison and proficiency tests
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