CReSA becomes part of the European Network for Diagnostics of "Imported" Viral Diseases (ENIVD)
Until today there were only two centres in Spain represented in the network: the National Centre for Microbiology in Majadahonda and the Cristal-Piñor Hospital Complex in Ourense.
BY BIOCAT
CReSA (Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal) is a center conducting research in animal health which is now part of the European Network for Diagnostics of Imported Viral Diseases (ENIVD). It is promoted by state departments of health, hospitals and research centres of research from all over Europe to control imported infectious viral diseases from other countries. Until today, there were only two centres in Spain represented in it: the National Centre for Microbiology in Majadahonda and the Cristal-Piñor Hospital Complex.
ENIVD members meet regularly with representatives of European countries and international organizations like the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the World Health Organization (OMS) in order to exchange and collect information, and to work in the improvement of viral diseases imported to Europe collaboration and diagnosis.
More precisely, ENIVD works to:
- Maintain a network of European laboratories working on diagnostics of "imported", rare and emerging viral infections of European Interest. Provide mutual help in the exchange of diagnostic samples.
- Identify those viral infections more likely to be imported and co-ordinate the objectives and identify laboratories, capable and willing to perform the rapid diagnostics (<24h) of an acute case, suspected to be infected with a viral haemorrhagic fever.
- Work biosafety and quality control requirements in diagnostics laboratories involved in the diagnostics of such diseases.
- Identify and operate standard assays according to defined quality control criteria.
- Optimise limited resources by exchanging reagents, methodologies, and expertise.
- Encourage regular contact within the network through meetings, exchange and training of personnel in biosafety and new laboratory techniques.
- Open the network for members of other European laboratories.
Núria Busquets, researcher of the Viral Diseases Unit, is the representative of CReSA in ENVID and will collaborate in the group of Viruses, Diagnostics and Quality Assurance. Busquets is the responsible for CReSA predoctoral scholarships of the projects Dengue and Chikungunya in Europe and spreading of other vector and reservoir viral diseases.