National Reference Laboratory for Vectors Involved in
Animal Diseases and Zoonoses

1. NRL experts

• NRL coordinator

  Bg. Elena Popa, PhD in biology, parazitology speciality
  tel. 0374.322.090 / 0374.322.053 e–mail: elena.popa@idah.ro

• NRL deputy coordinator

  Dr. Lenuţa DASCĂLU, PhD candidate

• Team working

  Dr. Moţiu Răzvan-Dezideriu, master in veterinary clinic and pharmacy speciality
  Dr. Nerone Pavel
  Dr. Raluca Bădulescu

2. Correspondent Community Reference Laboratory

• –

3. Specific atributions

• The specialists working in this NRL have the responsibility for drawing up the handbook: „Manual for Identification and Surveillance of Vectors involved in Animal Diseases and Zoonoses”.
• They also perform the changes and/or supplements for „Manual for Identification and Surveillance of Vectors involved in Animal Diseases and Zoonoses” 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 identification and surveillance of vectors involved in animal diseases and zoonoses.
• The experts coordinate pre-taking and drawing up the standards and identification methods of vectors involved in animal diseases and zoonoses in Romania.
• They carry out researches activities, assimilate and draw up the new analytical methods for laboratory identification and surveillance of vectors involved in animal diseases and zoonoses.
• They participate to the international inter-comparison and proficiency tests organized by international accredited institutions in the field.
• They participate to the quality assurance activities and method standardization for identification, surveillance of vectors involved in animal diseases and zoonoses.
• The NRL specialists collaborate with international accredited institutions in the field and benefit from training organized by these and supplying standards, methods for identification of vectors involved in animal diseases and zoonoses.
• The NRL experts collaborate with international accredited institutions in the field in order to improve the surveillance and identification capacity of vectors involved in animal diseases and zoonoses.
• In accordance with provisions of Diagnosis Manual, they carry out the laboratory tests/assays for identification and surveillance of vectors involved in animal diseases and zoonoses.
• The NRL experts supply the identification expertise for vectors involved in animal diseases and zoonoses 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 identification expertise for vectors involved in animal diseases and zoonoses in case of dispute settlement.
• They coordinate the drawing up of identification standards and methods for vectors involved in animal diseases and zoonoses used by all authorized sanitary veterinary and food safety laboratories.
• The NRL experts perform the annual inter-laboratory comparative tests for checking the identification capability for vectors involved in animal diseases and zoonoses, 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 vectors involved in animal diseases and zoonoses.
• The NRL experts carry out specific activities for identification and characterization the vectors involved in animal diseases and zoonoses.
• They preserve and sometimes keep alive the vectors involved in animal diseases and zoonoses 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 vectors involved in animal diseases and zoonoses 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, 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 vectors involved in animal diseases and zoonoses with the aim of establishing the national strategies and policies on vectors involved in animal diseases and zoonoses.
• 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 vectors involved in animal diseases and zoonoses.
• They participate to the elaboration of law drafts for vectors involved in animal diseases and zoonoses.
• They also participate to design the technical programs, the national and international projects regarding identification and surveillance of vectors involved in animal diseases and zoonoses.
• 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
  • –
• Attendance to trainings
  • –
• Participation to the international inter–comparison and proficiency tests
  • –

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 training organized by Community Reference Laboratory for Bluetongue, Institute for Animal Health, Pirbright Laboratory, Pirbright, Woking, Surrey GU24 ONF, United Kingdom
  • 2002 - Training course concerning Culicoides spp. Trapping and Identification
  • 2003 - Entomological surveillance of bluetongue: use of light-traps and identification of Culicoides
  • 2008 - Recognition and identification of the bluetongue virus vectors
  • 2009 - Entomological surveillance of West Nile: use of traps and identification of mosquitoes
• Participation to the international inter–comparison and proficiency tests
  • –

8. Activity in relation with counties SVFSLs

• Workshop organization
  • –
• Training organization
  • 2003 - Identification the Culicoides species vectors for bluetongue virus
  • 2004 - Trapping and identification the Culicoides species
  • 2005 - Bluetongue epidemiology, profilaxy, diagnostic and surveillance. Trapping methodology and identification the bluetongue vectors
  • 2006 - Identification the Culicoides species vectors for bluetongue virus
  • 2007 - Identification the Culicoides species vectors for bluetongue virus
  • 2008 - Trapping and identification the Culicoides species
  • 2009 - Entomological surveillance of West Nile virus: trapping and identification the mosquitoes species
• Performing inter–comparison and proficiency tests
  • 2006 - Identification the Culicoides species vectors for bluetongue virus
  • 2007 - Identification the Culicoides species vectors for bluetongue virus
  • 2008 - Identification the Culicoides species vectors for bluetongue virus
  • 2009 - Identification the Culicoides species vectors for bluetongue virus

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

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