National Reference Laboratory for Diseases Caused by Protozoa

1. NRL experts

• NRL coordinator

  Dr. Banu Teofilia, PhD candidate
  tel. 0374.322.090 / 0374.322.053
  e–mail: teofilia.banu@idah.ro

• NRL deputy coordinator

  Dr. Chitimia Lidia, PhD in medical sciences, veterinary medicine speciality

• Team working

  Dr. Rădulescu Ruxandra Alina, PhD in medical sciences, veterinary medicine speciality
  Dr. Răgălie Adriana, PhD candidate
  Dr. Tamba Paula
  Ch. Coste Handan Calina, PhD in biology
  Dr. Turcitu Mihai, PhD candidate
  Dr. Adriana Orăşanu, PhD in medical sciences, veterinary medicine specialty
  Dr. Antoniu Silvia, PhD in medical sciences, veterinary medicine specialty
  Dr. Visarion Magdalena
  Dr. Pavel Nerone
  Dr. Adameşteanu Mihai

2. Correspondent Community Reference Laboratory

• Community Reference Laboratory for Parasites, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161, Roma, Italy

3. Specific atributions

• The specialists working in this NRL have the responsibility for drawing up the following handbook „Manual for Diseases Caused by Protozoa”.
• They also perform the changes and/or supplements for „Manual for Diseases Caused by Protozoa 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 diseases caused by Protozoa.
• The experts coordinate pre-taking and drawing up the standards and diagnostic methods of diseases caused by Protozoa in Romania.
• They carry out researches activities, assimilate and draw up the new analytical methods for laboratory diagnosis and surveillance of diseases caused by Protozoa.
• They participate together with the others national reference laboratories for diseases caused by Protozoa from Member States, to the international inter-comparison and proficiency tests organized by Community Reference Laboratory for Parasites.
• They participate to the quality assurance activities and method standardization for diagnosis, surveillance and screening of diseases caused by Protozoa, organized by Community Reference Laboratory for Parasites.
• The NRL specialists collaborate with Community Reference Laboratory for Parasites and benefit from training organized by this and supplying diagnostic standards, methods, reagents or diagnosis standards for diseases caused by Protozoa.
• The NRL experts collaborate with national reference laboratories for diseases caused by Protozoa 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 diseases caused by Protozoa.
• In accordance with provisions of diagnosis manuals, they carry out the laboratory tests/assays for diagnosis and surveillance of diseases caused by Protozoa.
• The NRL experts supply the diagnosis expertise for diseases caused by Protozoa 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 diseases caused by Protozoa 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 diseases caused by Protozoa and designate their use by state sanitary veterinary laboratories from Romania.
• They produce some diagnosis reagents for diseases caused by Protozoa, supplying them for all authorised sanitary veterinary and food safety laboratories.
• They coordinate the drawing up of diagnosis standards and methods for diseases caused by Protozoa 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 caused by Protozoa, 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 diseases caused by Protozoa.
• The NRL experts proceed specific activities in order to identify and characterize the etiological agents of diseases caused by Protozoa, their origin and species.
• NRL has the responsibility to characterize the diseases caused by Protozoa etiological agent strains, their genetic typing and designing the epidemiological genetic charts.
• They preserve the diseases caused by Protozoa 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 diseases caused by Protozoa 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 Parasites, World Animal Health Organization, national reference laboratories for diseases caused by Protozoa 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 diseases caused by Protozoa es with the aim of establishing the national strategies and policies on diseases caused by Protozoa.
• 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 diseases caused by Protozoa ases, 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 diseases caused by Protozoa and to calibration of national reference secondary sera against international primary standard sera.
• They participate to the elaboration of law drafts for diseases caused by Protozoa.
• They also participate to design the technical programs, the national and international projects regarding diseases caused by Protozoa 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
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5. Activity in relation with correspondent national reference laboratories from Member States

• Attendance to workshops
  • –
• Attendance to trainings
  • 2007 - Laboratory techniques for toxoplasmosis diagnosis, organized by National Reference Laboratory for Toxoplasmosis (National Institute for Public Health) Praga, Cehia
• 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
  • 2008 - Serological techniques for dourine diagnosis, organized by Institute of Bacterial Infections and Zoonoses, Jena, Germany
• Participation to the international inter–comparison and proficiency tests
  • 2007 - 2 participations to the inter-comparison test on “Dourine Quality Assesment-CFT”, organized by Veterinary Laboratory Agency, Sutton Bonington, United Kingdom
  • 2008 - 2 participations to the inter-comparison test on “Dourine Quality Assesment-CFT”, organized by Veterinary Laboratory Agency, Sutton Bonington, United Kingdom
  • 2009 - 1 participation to the inter-comparison test on “Dourine Quality Assesment-CFT”, organized by Veterinary Laboratory Agency, Sutton Bonington, United Kingdom

8. Activity in relation with counties SVFSLs

• Workshop organization
  • –
• Training organization
  • 2008 - Methods and laboratory techniques used in diseases caused by Protozoa
• Performing inter–comparison and proficiency tests
  • 2009 –identification of etiological agents for Babesiosis

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

• Workshop organization
  • –
• Training organization
  • –
• Performing inter–comparison and proficiency tests
  • –