EVAg

Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna (IZSLER) is a veterinary public health body providing services and collaboration in the field of public health and food safety. Founded in Brescia (Italy) in 1921 ,IZSLER employs 650 people and is the largest 'Istituti Zooprofilattico Sperimentali' belonging to the national veterinary health system network. Our activity can be divided in 4 main areas: animal health, food safety, animal welfare and basic and applied research.

IZSLER performs diagnosis for a variety of viral infectious diseases of domestic and wild animals, as well as zoonotic and arthropod borne diseases. This activity includes laboratory tests, intervention in breeding farms, epidemiological data processing, risk assessment and study of potential vectors and reservoir of pathogens for human and animals. The diagnostic activity supports the health authority, farmers and food processing companies in preventing the main endemic and epidemic diseases, in addition to zoonoses, also through the application of monitoring plans.

Food safety activity is achieved by constant and widespread quality controls of food products and chains which involves food business operators, primary production and food processing. The Animal Welfare activity is focused on farming, transport and slaughter conditions as a pre-requisite to ensure accurate food chain certification. Moreover, IZSLER is involved in training of personnel, co-operation at international level for animal health and production, definition of prevention and control strategies and surveillance programs.

Basic and applied research, developing knowledge in the field of veterinary health and food hygiene and safety, are mainly based on the activities of the national and international reference centers. Italian Ministry of Health assigned to IZSLER 13 National Reference Centres, including the Reference Centre for alternative methods, wellness and care of experimental animals.In addition, International organisms recognized IZSLER as FAO Reference Centre for Foot and Mouth Disease and Swine Vesicular Disease andOIE Reference Laboratories for Swine Vesicular Disease, Rabbit Haemorrhagic Diseases (RHD), Myxomatosis and Swine Influenza, and as OIE Collaborating Centre for Veterinary Biologicals Biobank. IZSLER Biobank contains over600 cell lines, and bacteria and viruses from different animal species isolated during diagnostic activity, that provides valuable materials for the validation of modern molecular and serological diagnostic tests and can complement the existing EVAG archive.

In order to provide qualified laboratory tests and activities, the IZSLER has adopted a policy of quality satisfaction for companies, business and operators. The Institute has been an accredited multi-site laboratory, in conformity with standard UNI CEI EN 45001 and ISO 17025 since 1997, and IZSLER Biobank is certified ISO 9001.

The team/group involved in the project is experienced in the development and validation of molecular diagnostic assays, virus isolation and characterization, sequencing (Sanger and NGS), cell culture including 3D culture, production and distribution of reagents, leading of research projects, biobanking, education and training. They work according to the priorities of the OIE Reference Laboratories for Rabbit Haemorrhagic Diseases (RHD), Myxomatosis and Swine Influenza, the OIE Collaborating Centre for Veterinary Biologicals Biobank, but many efforts are also dedicated to the study of swine enteric viral infections (PEDV and Rotavirus).