Partner 1-Ghent
Kristien Van Reeth, DVM, PhD, professor
Ghent University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Virology
Salisburylaan 133
B-9820 Merelbeke
Belgium
Role and contribution:
P1 is overall co-ordinator
Manager of WPs 1, 2 and 4.
Participation in all WPs.
Qualifications and suitability:
The Laboratory of Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, UGent, has a long tradition in research of the pathogenesis of viral diseases of swine, for which it is internationally recognized. The laboratory has 25 years of experience with swine influenza viruses (SIVs) in Europe. The group was the first to isolate avian-like H1N1 influenza viruses from swine in ‘79 and to demonstrate an association between infection with human-like H3N2 viruses and respiratory disease outbreaks in ‘84. Other major achievements have been the development of a challenge model to test vaccine-efficacy in pigs and clinical studies into the role of swine influenza virus in combined infections with porcine reproductive-respiratory syndrome virus and other respiratory viruses. The role of pro-inflammatory cytokines in influenza pathogenesis and disease, and the immune response following SIV infection or vaccination are major research topics. Research projects to study the role of swine as an intermediate host for avian influenza viruses have been recently awarded. The laboratory has access to field material from pigs and to SIVs isolated from ‘83 throughout ‘05. Also, there is a large collection of influenza virus-positive nasal swabs and of welldefined sera against one or several SIV subtypes from previous experimental infection studies. There is extensive experience with all classical techniques for SIV detection and for the serologic diagnosis. In May 1999, this group has organised a ‘Symposium on Animal Influenza Viruses’ in cooperation with the European Society for Veterinary Virology (ESVV). The laboratory of virology has also played a key role in the completed “European surveillance network for swine influenza in pigs” (EU concerted action QLRT-1999-31636). Other important research topics include interactions between porcine respiratory viruses and bacterial endotoxins, lung pathogenesis of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus, and immune-evasion with Aujeszky’s disease virus and equine herpesvirus
Partner 2-Weybridge
Ian Brown, MIBiol, PhD
Veterinary Laboratories Agency
Woodham Lane, New Haw, Addlestone
Surrey KT15 3NB
UK
Role and contribution:
P2 will manage WPs 3, 5 and 8.
Participation in all WPs.
Qualifications and
suitability:
The Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) is an
Executive Agency of the Department for Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs. It provides a specialist
veterinary resource to the UK Government to help it
fulfil its aims and objectives in veterinary public
health and developing sustainable agriculture and
food industries. The VLA has a large headquarters
site near Weybridge in Surrey, where most of the
research activities take place. The Weybridge site
is a well-equipped facility with high
bio-containment level L3+ facilities. In addition,
there are 15 smaller Regional Laboratories, which
provide a surveillance network throughout Great
Britain. The principal mission of the VLA is
to
“safeguard public and animal health through world
class veterinary research and surveillance of
farmed livestock &
wildlife”. The Virology
department at VLA has a workgroup of 21 scientists
dedicated to diagnostic, surveillance and research
activities for avian viruses and influenza in pigs.
The primary functions of this group are to act in a
consultative capacity to government and, where
applicable, to the European Union and other
international agencies, in the areas of statutory
and non-statutory avian diseases and mammalian
influenza viruses. The work group is responsible
for the diagnosis of statutory avian diseases and
as such is the designated National Laboratory for
Newcastle disease and avian influenza. There is
also a comprehensive diagnostic service for
non-statutory avian virus diseases and some aspects
of swine influenza diagnosis are done within the
group. This includes the development of diagnostic
tests based on new technologies. In addition the
work group is designated the following
international reference laboratories:
• OIE Reference
Laboratory for Newcastle Disease and Avian
Influenza.
• FAO Reference Laboratory for Newcastle disease
and Avian Influenza
• FAO Collaborating Centre on Diseases of Poultry
• European Community Reference Laboratory for
Newcastle Disease
• European Community Reference Laboratory for Avian
Influenza
Partner 3-Lelystad
Willie Loeffen, DVM
Department of Virology, CIDC-Lelystad
P.O.Box 2004
8203AA Lelystad
The Netherlands
Role and contribution:
P3 will manage WPs 6 and 7.
Participation in WPs 4 and 8.
Qualifications and suitability:
The Central Institute for Animal Disease Control
(CIDC-Lelystad) is the national reference
laboratory for all notifiable and exotic diseases
in the Netherlands. It has specific expertise in
the prevention, detection and control of notifiable
animal diseases related to Dutch and European
legislation. CIDC’s research field spans all
notifiable diseases of farm animals (including
fish, poultry and bees) in List A and B of the OIE.
CIDC-Lelystad is responsible for the surveillance
of notifiable infectious animal diseases in
livestock. CIDC-Lelystad performs diagnostic tests
related to export certification and supervises
diagnostic standards for other Dutch veterinary
laboratories. Furthermore they evaluate veterinary
medicinal products and feed additives on behalf of
the Dutch government. CIDC-Lelystad has an
important role in providing laboratory facilities
and expertise in crisis situations, as was the case
with CSF (1997/98), BSE (since 1999), FMD (2001),
anthrax (since 2001) and avian influenza (2003).
CIDC’s research primarily aims at improving
diagnostics and elucidating the pathogenesis and
epidemiology of diseases. Highly infectious
pathogens can be handled in the institutes High
Containment Facility (BSL 3/4). CIDC-Lelystad is
certified for ISO-17025 for specific diagnostic
tests and ISO-9001 for other activities
Partner 4-Parma
Participant 4: Istituto
Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e
dell’Emilia
Romagna (ISZLER), Italy
Emanuela Foni, DVM,
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della
Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna
Sezione Diagnostica di Parma
Via dei Mercati, 13/A
43100 Parma
Italy
Role and contribution:
Participation in WPs 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 and
8.
Qualifications and
suitability:
The “Istituto Zooprofilattico” Network in Italy is
a Technical-Scientific Agency of the Ministry of
Health. It consists of 10 Central Head Laboratories
and hundreds of provincial diagnostic divisions
(Section or “Sezione”) and is the largest
enterprise for Veterinary Services in the EEC. The
“Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della
Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna” (IZSLER) has his
Central Head Laboratory in Brescia and smaller
diagnostic laboratories in each of the 20 provinces
of the two regions, Lombardia and Emilia Romagna.
The provincial laboratories have the most modern
equipment for an accurate and rapid diagnosis of
infectious diseases of animals and only
particularly complex analyses are sent to the
highly specialised laboratories in Brescia. The
IZSLER is also on the forefront in experimental
research on transmissible diseases of animals,
consultancy and assistance to stockbreeders, and
production of veterinary vaccines, diagnostics and
pharmaceutical products. The IZSLER is also
involved in surveillance of 46000 bovine herds and
14000 swine herds, besides carrying out control of
2852 plants for slaughtering and food processing.
The provincial Sezione in Parma of the IZSLER was
founded in 1972. Dr. G. Barigazzi is the current
director and Dr. E. Foni collaborates in laboratory
activities. The Virology Laboratory has been
working on swine influenza since 1976 and has
collected more than 400 SIV isolates, most of which
have been further characterised at the NIMR
(National Institute for Medical Research) in
London. Since 1993 the laboratory has performed
surveillance of influenza viruses in wild
waterfowl. The lab has actively participated in
ESNIP 1.
Partner 5-Ploufragan
François Madec, Msc, PhD
Agence Française de Sécurité Sanitaire des Aliments
Laboratoire d’Etudes et de Recherches Avicoles et Porcines
Unité d'Epidémiologie et Bien-Etre Porcin.
Zoopôle Les Croix
BP 53, 22440 Ploufragan
France
Role and contribution:
Participation in WPs 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8.
Qualifications and suitability:
The “Agence Française de Sécurité Sanitaire des Aliments” (French Food Safety Agency – AFSSA) is a governmental organisation reporting to three Ministries, Health, Agriculture and Consumer affairs. The Agency’s objective is to ensure food safety, from the production of raw materials right through distribution to the consumer. The Agency has specific responsibilities in animal health and welfare and veterinary medicines. The Ploufragan laboratory (LERAP) conducts research, gives scientific and technical support and delivers expert reports in respect of poultry, rabbit and pig productions. It is National Reference Laboratory (NRL) for Swine Fevers, for Newcastle disease and for Avian Influenza; it is OIE Reference Laboratory for Gumboro’s disease and avian mycoplasmosis and is OIE associated Reference Laboratory for Aujeszky’s disease. The LERAP group has extensive experience in swine virology and vaccinology and has high containment facilities for experimental infections. The “Swine Epidemiology and Welfare Unit”, involved in the previous concerted action (ESNIP 1), has acquired a strong experience on surveillance of swine influenza virus and other respiratory syndromes. This unit closely collaborates with the “Swine Virology and Immunology Unit” and with the “Avian and Rabbit Virology, Immunology and Parasitology Unit ”, which is the national reference lab for avian influenza. The groups have classical and molecular tools for swine and avian influenza viruses and access to mixed farms with swine and poultry.
Partner 6-Marburg
Mikhail Matrosovich
Institute of Virology, Philipps University
Robert-Koch Str. 17
D-35037, Marburg
Germany
Role and
contribution:
Participation in WPs 3, 6 and 8.
Qualifications and suitability:
The Institute of Virology, Philipps University,
Marburg is a centre for diagnostic and research
activities and education at the Medical School of
the university. The staff includes about 60
scientists and technicians and 20 postdoctoral
fellows working on epidemiologically important
viruses including influenza, measles, Nipah
viruses, SARS coronavirus, adenoviruses,
cytomegaloviruses, and hemorrhagic fever viruses
(Marburg, Ebola and Lassa viruses). The institute
houses the National Reference Laboratory for
Filoviruses. The research projects at the Institute
of Virology are funded by numerous sources, among
them Deutsche
Forschungsgemeinschaft, Sonder-forschungsbereiche
and the EU.
Partner 7-Lyon
Participant 7: MERIAL,
France
Michel Bublot
Virology Dpt, Discovery Research, Merial
254, rue Marcel Mérieux
69007 Lyon
France
Role and contribution:
Participation in WPs 2, 6 and 8.
Qualifications and suitability:
Merial is the largest animal health company in the
world and has a longstanding experience in
developing and producing veterinary vaccines,
influenza vaccines in particular. Merial has
commercially available vaccines and an active
research program on swine, equine and avian
influenza. Merial was an active participant in
ESNIP 1. Merial has contact with different
influenza laboratories and may contribute to WP8.
Partner 8-Gerona
Jaime Maldonado
Veterinary Diagnostic Services DIAGNOS, Laboratorios HIPRA S.A.
Avenida La Selva s/n,
Amer 17170 Gerona
Spain
Role and contribution:
Participation in WPs 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8.
Qualifications and suitability:
Founded in 1954, LABORATORIOS HIPRA is an independent pharmaceutical company dedicated to researching, manufacturing and marketing veterinary products. HIPRA has subsidiaries in Uruguay, Peru, Portugal, China, Philippines, Mexico and Brazil and country managers in several countries around the world. Headquartered in Amer, Gerona, Spain, HIPRA has high security and isolation facilities for R&D, production, testing and delivering activities. Research and Development of new products is one of HIPRA's highest priorities. Also, HIPRA takes an active part in several national and international research projects in collaboration with universities and Spanish and foreign public centres. HIPRA markets several vaccines for viral diseases of swine such PRRSV, ADV and SIV. HIPRA’s R&D department in collaboration with numerous reference laboratories has developed the products (ELISA kits) in the CIVTEST™ range. The company has the largest veterinary diagnostic laboratory in Spain, dealing with more than 9000 diagnostic submissions per year. Recently, HIPRA’s diagnostic staff isolated for the first time an H1N2 SIV from pigs in Spain. The company has access to SIV field isolates and swine sera and has collaborated on a voluntary basis with the ESNIP 1 action.
Partner 9-Sofia
Ivaylo Chenchev, PhD, professor
Department of Exotic Diseases, National Diagnostic Veterinary Research Institute
15, "P.Slavejkov" Blvd.
1606 Sofia
Bulgaria
Role and contribution:
Participation in WPs 1, 4, 6 and 8.
Qualifications and suitability:
The Department of Exotic diseases, National Diagnostic Research Veterinary Institute, is responsible for all diagnosis of exotic and notifiable diseases of live stock in Bulgaria. Main activities of the NDRVI are the statutory task for diagnosis of the diseases of List A and B of OIE and development of diagnostic tools for endemic and zoonotic diseases. Researchers in this institute have been working with avian and equine influenza viruses for years and they have access to material from swine in the field.
Partner 10-HongKong
Malik Peiris, MD, PhD, professor
Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong
University Pathology Building, Queen Mary Hospital
Pokfulam
Hong Kong SAR
Role and contribution:
Participation in WPs 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8.
Qualifications and suitability:
The Department of Microbiology at The University of Hong Kong has being carrying out surveillance of animal (both swine and avian) influenza viruses for over 30 years as part of a program initiated by KF Shortridge in the 1970’s. This program has been continued and intensified in recent years and is now led by co-principal investigators Y Guan and JSM Peiris. Regular surveillance of swine influenza viruses has been ongoing since 1999 with virus isolation by inoculation of MDCK cells and embryonated eggs. Serology is carried out using HAI tests and neutralization tests. We were the first to report the isolation of H9N2 influenza viruses from pigs in 1998 and the isolation of contemporary human-like H3N2 influenza viruses in 1998/9. In addition to influenza surveillance in swine, this group has been actively involved in studies on the ecology, evolution and pathogenesis of avian influenza viruses.