National Reference Laboratory for Rabies

1. NRL experts

• NRL coordinator

  Dr. Dumitrescu Florina
  tel. 0374.322.000 / 0374.322.013
  e–mail: florina.dumitrescu@idah.ro

• NRL deputy coordinator

  Dr. Mihai Ion, PhD in medical sciences, veterinary medicine speciality

• Team working

  Dr. Vuţă Barbu–Vlad, PhD candidate
  Dr. Boncea Adrian–Dragoş, master's degree in clinical and veterinary pharmacy speciality
  Dr. Bărbuceanu Florica, PhD in medical sciences, veterinary medicine specialty
  Dr. Turcitu Mihai–Alexandru, PhD candidate
  Dr. Bădulescu Raluca
  Dr. Cătuşanu Şerban
  Dr. Bărboi Gheorghe, PhD in medical sciences, veterinary medicine speciality

2. Correspondent Community Reference Laboratory

• Community Reference Laboratory for Rabies – Laboratoire d’études sur la rage et la pathologie des animaux sauvages, French Food Safety Agency (AFSSA) – Nancy, 54220 Malzéville, France (is hereby designated as the community reference laboratory for rabies from 1 July 2008 until 30 June 2013, in accordance with Reg. 737/2008/EC).

3. Specific atributions

• The specialists working in this NRL have the responsibility for drawing up the following handbook: „Manual for Rabies Diagnosis in Domestic and Wild Animals”.
• They also perform the changes and/or supplements for „Manual for Bovine Rabies Diagnosis in Domestic and Wild Animals” 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 rabies in domestic and wild animals.
• The experts coordinate pre–taking and drawing up the standards and diagnostic methods of rabies in domestic and wild animals, in Romania.
• They carry out researches activities, assimilate and draw up the new analytical methods for laboratory diagnosis and surveillance of rabies in domestic and wild animals.
• They participate together with the others national reference laboratories for rabies from Member States, to the international inter–comparison and proficiency tests organized by Community Reference Laboratory for Rabies.
• They participate to the quality assurance activities and method standardization for diagnosis, surveillance and screening for rabies in domestic and wild animals, organized by Community Reference Laboratory for Rabies.
• The NRL specialists collaborate with Community Reference Laboratory for Rabies and benefit from training organized by this and supplying diagnostic standards, methods, reagents or diagnosis standards for rabies.
• The NRL experts collaborate with national reference laboratories for rabies 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 rabies in domestic and wild animals.
• In accordance with provisions of diagnosis manuals, they carry out the laboratory tests/assays for diagnosis and surveillance for rabies in domestic and wild animals.
• In special cases, the NRL experts supply the diagnosis expertise for rabies in domestic and wild animals, 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 carry out the laboratory tests/assays, in order to monitor the efficiency of rabies vaccination of carnivorous being for intracommunity trade and movements.
• The NRL experts carry out the laboratory tests/assays, in order to determine the presence of tetracycline marker from vaccinal baits and level of post–vaccination antibodies in foxes shot during hunting campaigns organized by hunting fund managers.
• The NRL experts supply the diagnosis expertise for rabies in domestic and wild animals, 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 animal rabies and designate their use by state sanitary veterinary laboratories from Romania.
• In preparation for yielding certain diagnosis reagents for rabies in domestic and wild animals, supplying them for all authorised sanitary veterinary and food safety laboratories.
• They coordinate the drawing up of diagnosis standards and methods for rabies in domestic and wild animals, used by all authorized sanitary veterinary and food safety laboratories.
• They coordinate the sanitary veterinary and food safety laboratories from sanitary veterinary and food safety county directorates, and of Bucharest, respectively, in order to perform the surveillance, monitoring and diagnosis of rabies in domestic and wild animals, in Romania.
• In accordance with European Commission legislation, NRL has the responsibility to monitor the incidence of rabies in foxes, by checking 8 foxes/100 km2 for the presence of rabies virus. In order to estimate the real incidence of rabies in vaccinated areas, the most suitable animals for virological diagnosis are the foxes found dead, suspected to be affected by rabies or damaged following an accident.
• The NRL experts perform the annual inter–laboratory comparative tests for checking the diagnostic capability for rabies in domestic and wild animals, 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 rabies in domestic and wild animals.
• The NRL experts proceed specific activities in order to identify and characterize the etiological agents of animal rabies, their origin, type, subtype and variant.
• NRL has the responsibility to characterize the animal rabies etiological agent strains, their genetic typing and designing the epidemiological genetic charts.
• They preserve the animal rabies ethological 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 competence for rabies in domestic and wild animals 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 Rabies, World Animal Health Organization, national reference laboratories for rabies 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 rabies in domestic and wild animals, with the aim of establishing the national strategies and policies on animal rabies.
• 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 rabies in domestic and wild animals, 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 rabies in domestic and wild animals and to calibration of national reference secondary sera against international primary standard sera.
• They participate to the elaboration of law drafts for rabies in domestic and wild animals.
• They also participate to design the technical programs, the national and international projects regarding animal rabies 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
  • 2008 – The first meeting of Rabies, organized by Community Reference Laboratory for Rabies – Laboratoire d’études sur la rage et la pathologie des animaux sauvages, French Food Safety Agency (AFSSA) – Nancy, 54220 Malzéville, France
• Attendance to trainings
  • –
• Participation to the international inter–comparison and proficiency tests
  • 2008 – Proficiency test – FAVN, organized by Community Reference Laboratory for Rabies – Laboratoire d’études sur la rage et la pathologie des animaux sauvages, French Food Safety Agency (AFSSA) – Nancy, 54220 Malzéville, France
  • 2008 – Proficiency test – FAVN organized by Community Reference Laboratory for Rabies – Laboratoire d’études sur la rage et la pathologie des animaux sauvages, French Food Safety Agency (AFSSA) – Nancy, 54220 Malzéville, France

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
  • 2007 – Rabies Diagnostic Techniques, organized by Friedrich Loeffler Institute, Wusterhausen, Germany
• Participation to the international inter–comparison and proficiency tests
  • –

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

• Attendance to workshops
  • 2006 – Rabies Serology Proficiency Test, organized by Laboratoire d’études sur la rage et la pathologie des animaux sauvages, French Food Safety Agency (AFSSA) – Nancy, 54220 Malzéville, France
  • 2008 – Workshop on rabies: regional cooperation towards eradicating the oldest known zoonotic disease in Europe, organiyed by Technical assistance and Information Exchange Unit from Directorate –General Enlargement of the European Commission
• Attendance to trainings
  • 2005 – Molecular Techniques in Rabies diagnostic, organized by Laboratoire d’études sur la rage et la pathologie des animaux sauvages, French Food Safety Agency (AFSSA) – Nancy, 54220 Malzéville, France
  • 2005 – Rabies diagnostic. Fluorescence Antibody Virus Neutralisation for to assess the level of anti–rabies antibodies after vaccination, organized by Laboratoire d’études sur la rage et la pathologie des animaux sauvages, French Food Safety Agency (AFSSA) – Nancy, 54220 Malzéville, France
• Participation to the international inter–comparison and proficiency tests
  • 2007 – Proficiency test – FAVN, organized by Laboratoire d’études sur la rage et la pathologie des animaux sauvages, French Food Safety Agency (AFSSA) – Nancy, 54220 Malzéville, France
  • 2007 – Proficiency test – ELISA, organized by Laboratoire d’études sur la rage et la pathologie des animaux sauvages, French Food Safety Agency (AFSSA) – Nancy, 54220 Malzéville, France
  • 2007 – Proficiency test – Fluorescence antibody test (FAT) and mice inoculation test (MIT), organized by Laboratoire d’études sur la rage et la pathologie des animaux sauvages, French Food Safety Agency (AFSSA) – Nancy, 54220 Malzéville, France

8. Activity in relation with counties SVFSLs

• Workshop organization
  • –
• Training organization
  • 2006 – Fluorescence antibody test (FAT) and mice inoculation test (MIT) for rabies diagnostic
  • 2007 – Fluorescence antibody test (FAT) and mice inoculation test (MIT) for rabies diagnostic
  • 2008 – Fluorescence antibody test (FAT) and mice inoculation test (MIT) for rabies diagnostic
  • 2009 – Fluorescence antibody test (FAT) and mice inoculation test (MIT) for rabies diagnostic
• Performing inter–comparison and proficiency tests
  • 2006 – Fluorescence antibody test (FAT) and mice inoculation test (MIT) for rabies diagnostic
  • 2007 – Fluorescence antibody test (FAT) and mice inoculation test (MIT) for rabies diagnostic
  • 2008 – Fluorescence antibody test (FAT) and mice inoculation test (MIT) for rabies diagnostic
  • 2009 – Fluorescence antibody test (FAT) and mice inoculation test (MIT) for rabies diagnostic

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

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