National Reference Laboratory for Salmonellosis in Animals

1. NRL experts

• NRL coordinator

  Dr. Ionescu Maria, PhD candidate
  tel.: 0374322008
  e–mail: maria.ionescu@idah.ro

• NRL deputy coordinator

  Dr. Romaşcu Luminiţa, master in genetics, microbiology and biotechnology

• Team working

  Dr. Băcanu Gianina
  Bg. Vanghele Luminiţa, master in taxanomomy, PhD candidate
  Dr. Răgălie Adriana, PhD candidate
  Dr. Brad Gratziela
  Dr. Pavel Nerone
  Dr. Matei Gabriela, post-university studies in veterinary management, PhD candidate

2. Correspondent Community Reference Laboratory

• Community Reference Laboratory for Salmonella, Laboratory for Zoonoses and Environmental, Microbiology (LZO), National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands

3. Specific atributions

• The specialists working in this NRL have the responsibility for drawing up the following handbooks: „Manual for Diagnosis of Non-Zoonotic Salmonellosis in Animals” and „Manual for Diagnosis of Zoonotic Salmonellosis in Animals”.
• They also perform the changes and/or supplements for „Manual for Diagnosis of Non-Zoonotic Salmonellosis in Animals” and „Manual for Diagnosis of Zoonotic Salmonellosis in 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 salmonellosis in animals.
• The experts coordinate pre-taking and drawing up the standards and diagnostic methods of salmonellosis in animals in Romania.
• They carry out researches activities, assimilate and draw up the new analytical methods for laboratory diagnosis and surveillance of salmonellosis in animals.
• They participate together with the others national reference laboratories for salmonellosis in animals from Member States, to the international inter-comparison and proficiency tests organized by Community Reference Laboratory for Salmonella.
• They participate to the quality assurance activities and method standardization for diagnosis, surveillance and screening of salmonellosis in animals, organized by Community Reference Laboratory for Salmonella.
• The NRL specialists collaborate with Community Reference Laboratory for Salmonella and benefit from training organized by this and supplying diagnostic standards, methods, reagents or diagnosis standards for salmonellosis in animals.
• The NRL experts collaborate with national reference laboratories for salmonellosis in animals 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 salmonellosis in animals.
• In accordance with the provisions of Diagnosis Manual, they carry out the laboratory tests/assays for national programmes for surveillance of zoonotic sallmonelosis in animals.
• The NRL experts supply the diagnosis expertise for salmonellosis in 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 supply the diagnosis expertise for salmonellosis in 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 salmonellosis in animals and designate their use by state sanitary veterinary laboratories from Romania.
• In preparation for yielding certain diagnosis reagents for salmonellosis in animals, supplying them for all authorised sanitary veterinary and food safety laboratories.
• They coordinate the drawing up of diagnosis standards and methods for salmonellosis in animals 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 salmonellosis in 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 salmonellosis in animals.
• The NRL experts carry out specific activities for identification and characterization the etiological agents of salmonellosis in animals, their origin, type, subtype and variant.
• NRL has the responsibility to characterize the etiological agent strains salmonellosis in animals, their genetic typing and designing the epidemiological genetic charts.
• They preserve the etiological agent strains of salmonellosis in animals 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 salmonellosis in 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 Salmonella, World Animal Health Organization, and national reference laboratories for salmonellosis in animals 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 salmonellosis in animals with the aim of establishing the national strategies and policies on salmonellosis in animals.
• 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.
• 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 salmonellosis in animals, 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 salmonellosis in animals.
• They also participate to design the technical programs, the national and international projects regarding diagnosis and surveillance of salmonellosis in animals.
• 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
  • 2007 – The 12th Workshop organized by Community Reference Laboratory for Salmonella, Laboratory for Zoonoses and Environmental Microbiology (LZO), National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands
  • 2008 – The 13th Workshop organized by Community Reference Laboratory for Salmonella, Laboratory for Zoonoses and Environmental Microbiology (LZO), National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands
• Attendance to trainings
  • 2007 – Salmonella spp. detection and typing, organized by Community Reference Laboratory for Salmonella, Laboratory for Zoonoses and Environmental Microbiology (LZO), National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, P.O. Box 1, 3720 BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands
• Participation to the international inter–comparison and proficiency tests
  • 2006 - ISO 6579/2002 Annex D Addendum – Salmonella spp. Detection in pig faecal samples
  • 2008 - ISO 6579/2002 Annex D Addendum – Salmonella spp. Detection in bird faecal samples
  • 2009 - Serological typing for Salmonella spp. strains
  • 2009 - ISO 6579/2002 Annex D Addendum –Salmonella spp. detection in bird faecal samples
  • 2009 - Serological typing for Salmonella spp. strains

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

• Attendance to workshops
  • –
• Attendance to trainings
  • 2006 – Serological and phagic typing and antimicrobial susceptibility testing for Salmonella spp. using PEGE technique, organized by Ireland National Reference Laboratory, Galway
• 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
  • 2008 - Salmonella spp. detection in animal protein samples, organized by Veterinary Laboratory Agency, Sutton Bonington, United Kingdom
  • 2008 - Salmonella spp. detection in animal protein samples, organized by Veterinary Laboratory Agency, Sutton Bonington, United Kingdom
  • 2008 - Salmonella spp. detection in animal protein samples, organized by Veterinary Laboratory Agency, Sutton Bonington, United Kingdom
  • 2009 - Salmonella spp. detection in animal protein samples, organized by Veterinary Laboratory Agency, Sutton Bonington, United Kingdom
  • 2009 - Salmonella spp. detection in animal protein samples, organized by Veterinary Laboratory Agency, Sutton Bonington, United Kingdom
  • 2009 - Salmonella spp. detection in animal protein samples, organized by Veterinary Laboratory Agency, Sutton Bonington, United Kingdom
  • 2009 - Salmonella spp. detection in animal protein samples, organized by Veterinary Laboratory Agency, Sutton Bonington, United Kingdom

8. Activity in relation with counties SVFSLs

• Workshop organization
  • –
• Training organization
  • 2004 – Isolation procedures for Salmonella using modified enrichment culture media
  • 2005 – General approach in bacteriological diagnosis; homologated methods and methodologies
  • 2006 – General approach in bacteriological diagnosis, methods and methodologies used for isolation and identification of pathogen Salmonella genus
  • 2007 – General approach in bacteriological diagnosis; OSP for isolation and identification of pathogen Salmonella genus
  • 2008 – Salmonella spp. detection according to ISO 6579/2002, Annex D
  • 2009– Salmonella spp. detection according to ISO 6579/2002, Annex D Addendum 1:2007
• Performing inter–comparison and proficiency tests
  • 2007 – Salmonella spp. detection according to ISO 6579/2002, Annex D
  • 2008 – Salmonella spp. detection according to ISO 6579/2002, Annex D

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

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