Duties

Duties of the European Union Reference Laboratory for Classical Swine Fever

The duties are recorded in the Council Directive 2001/89/EC, Annex IV

They include:

• Coordination of diagnostic methods in consultation with the Commission by means of storing and supplying cell cultures, virus strains, standardized sera and other reference reagents such as conjugate sera
• Training and retraining of experts in all fields of laboratory diagnosis with a view to harmonize diagnostic techniques (workshops and individual training)
• Organisation of comparative tests (inter-laboratory comparison tests) of diagnostic procedures at Community level
• Organisation of annual meetings to discuss current matters of surveillance, epizootiology and prevention of CSF
• Provision of trained personnel for emergency situations occurring within the community
• Research activities and coordination of research activities towards an improved control and understanding of CSF
• Building up and maintenance of a classical swine fever virus collection and gene database. At the moment over 800 virus isolates from all over the world are typed and included in this collection.
• Provision and retaining expertise on CSF and related matters