National Reference Laboratory for Classical Swine Fever and
African Swine Fever

1. NRL experts

• NRL coordinator

  Dr. Donescu Daniel, post-university studies in veterinary laboratory diagnosis
  tel. 0374.322.039 / 0741.079.390
  e–mail: daniel.donescu@idah.ro

• NRL deputy coordinator

  Dr. Ghiţă Mona-Gladiola, PhD in medical sciences, veterinary medicine speciality

• Team working

  Dr. Diaconu Claudiu, PhD candidate
  Dr. Moţiu Răzvan-Dezideriu, master in veterinary clinic and pharmacy speciality
  Dr. Turcitu Mihai, PhD candidate
  Dr. Tudoran Cristina
  Dr. Popoviciu Alice
  Dr. Apostu Cristian, undergraduate studies in specialty – animal health management
  Dr. Gheorghe ONŢANU, universitary professor; PhD in medical sciences, veterinary medicine speciality
  Dr. Nicolae Ştefan, university lecturer; PhD in medical sciences, veterinary medicine speciality
  Dr. Bărboi Gheorghe, PhD in medical sciences, veterinary medicine speciality
  

2. Correspondent Community Reference Laboratory

• Community Reference Laboratory for Classical Swine Fever, Institut für Virologie der Tierarztlichen Hochschule Hanover, Bischofscholer Damm 15 D-3000 Hannover 1, Germany
• Community Reference Laboratory for African Swine Fever, Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, Ctra. De Algete a El Casar, Valdeolmos, 28130, Madrid, Spain

3. Specific atributions

• The specialists working in this NRL have the responsibility for drawing up the following handbooks: „Manual for Classical Swine Fever Diagnosis” and „Manual for African Swine Fever Diagnosis”.
• They also perform the changes and/or supplements for „Manual for Classical Swine Fever Diagnosis” and „Manual for African Swine Fever Diagnosis” 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 classical swine fever and African swine fever.
• The experts coordinate pre-taking and drawing up the standards and diagnostic methods of classical swine fever and African swine fever in Romania.
• They carry out researches activities, assimilate and draw up the new analytical methods for laboratory diagnosis and surveillance of classical swine fever and African swine fever.
• They participate together with the others national reference laboratories for classical swine fever and African swine fever from Member States, to the international inter-comparison and proficiency tests organized by Community Reference Laboratory for Classical Swine Fever and Community Reference Laboratory for African Swine Fever.
• They participate to the quality assurance activities and method standardization for diagnosis, surveillance and screening of classical swine fever and African swine fever, organized by Community Reference Laboratory for Classical Swine Fever and Community Reference Laboratory for African Swine Fever.
• The NRL specialists collaborate with Community Reference Laboratory for Classical Swine Fever and Community Reference Laboratory for African Swine Fever and benefit from training organized by these and supplying diagnostic standards, methods, reagents or diagnosis standards for classical swine fever and African swine fever.
• The NRL experts collaborate with national reference laboratories for classical swine fever and African swine fever 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 classical swine fever and African swine fever.
• In accordance with provisions of diagnosis manuals, they carry out the laboratory tests/assays for diagnosis and surveillance of classical swine fever and African swine fever.
• The NRL experts supply the diagnosis expertise for classical swine fever and African swine fever 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 classical swine fever and African swine fever 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 classical swine fever and African swine fever and designate their use by state sanitary veterinary laboratories from Romania.
• In preparation for yielding certain diagnosis reagents for classical swine fever and African swine fever, supplying them for all authorised sanitary veterinary and food safety laboratories.
• They coordinate the drawing up of diagnosis standards and methods for classical swine fever and African swine fever 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 classical swine fever and African swine fever, 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 classical swine fever and African swine fever.
• The NRL experts carry out specific activities for identification and characterization the etiological agents of classical swine fever and African swine fever, their origin, type and subtype.
• NRL has the responsibility to characterize the classical swine fever and African swine fever etiological agent strains, their genetic typing and designing the epidemiological genetic charts.
• They preserve the classical swine fever and African swine fever etiological 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 classical swine fever and African swine fever 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 Classical Swine Fever and Community Reference Laboratory for African Swine Fever, World Animal Health Organization, national reference laboratories for classical swine fever and African swine fever 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 classical swine fever and African swine fever with the aim of establishing the national strategies and policies on classical swine fever and African swine fever.
• 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 in animal husbandry or for those enterprises of which activities involve products or by-products derived from animals.
• Sometimes, the experts from NRL participate to inspection and control actions directed to classical swine fever and African swine fever, 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 classical swine fever and African swine fever and to calibration of national reference secondary sera against international primary standard sera.
• They participate to the elaboration of law drafts for classical swine fever and African swine fever.
• They also participate to design the technical programs, the national and international projects regarding classical swine fever and African swine fever diagnosis 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
  • Starting with the year 1995 the experts from National Reference Laboratory for Classical Swine Fever and National Reference Laboratory for African Swine Fever participated to the international inter-comparison and proficiency tests organized by Community Reference Laboratory for Classical Swine Fever, Institut für Virologie der Tierarztlichen Hochschule Hanover, Bischofscholer Damm 15 D-3000 Hannover 1, Germany, having as theme classical swine fever laboratory diagnosis.
  • Starting with the year 2003 the experts from National Reference Laboratory for Classical Swine Fever and National Reference Laboratory for African Swine Fever participated to the international inter-comparison and proficiency tests organized by Community Reference Laboratory for African Swine Fever, Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, Ctra. De Algete a El Casar, Valdeolmos, 28130, Madrid, Spain, having as theme African swine fever laboratory diagnosis.

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

• Attendance to workshops
  • –
• Attendance to trainings
  • –
• Participation to the international inter–comparison and proficiency tests
  • –

6. Activity in relation with correspondent international reference laboratory

• Attendance to workshops
  • –
• Attendance to trainings
  • –
• Participation to the international inter–comparison and proficiency tests
  • –

7. Activity in relation with other international accredited institutions in the field

• Attendance to workshops
  • –
• Attendance to trainings
  • –
• Participation to the international inter–comparison and proficiency tests
  • –

8. Activity in relation with counties SVFSLs

• Workshop organization
  • –
• Training organization
  • Starting with the year 1985, training activities were organized, having as themes:
    • Detection of classical swine fever virus antigen using direct immunofluorescence test performed on sternal marrow smears.
    • Differentiation the classical swine fever virus from other pestiviruses using immunoperoxidase test.
    • Classical swine fever antibodies detection using ELISA test.
    • Handling and maintenance of cell cultures used for classical swine fever diagnosis.
• Performing inter–comparison and proficiency tests
  • Starting with the year 1999, inter-comparison and proficiency tests were organized, having as theme classical swine fever laboratory diagnosis.

9. Activity in relation with other institutions than SVFSLs or legal and private person

• Workshop organization
  • –
• Training organization
  • 2001 - Detection of classical swine fever antibodies using direct immunofluorescence test, training activity performed with specialists from Pasteur Institute.
  • 2003 - African swine fever clinical and morphopathological diagnosis, training activity performed with concessionary veterinarians.
  • 2005 - Sampling and primary samples processing for laboratory diagnosis of viral diseases, training activity performed with concessionary veterinarians.
• Performing inter–comparison and proficiency tests
  • –