Council Directive 2005/94/ECShow full title

Community reference laboratory for avian influenza

1. The Community reference laboratory for avian influenza is:

Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA), New Haw, Weybridge, Surrey KT 15 3NB, United Kingdom.

2. The functions and duties of the Community reference laboratory shall be:

(a)

to coordinate, in consultation with the Commission, the methods employed in the Member States for diagnosing avian influenza, specifically by;

(i)

typing, storing and supplying strains of avian influenza virus for serological tests and the preparation of antisera;

(ii)

supplying standard sera and other reference reagents to the national reference laboratories in order to standardise the tests and reagents used in the Member States;

(iii)

building up and retaining a collection of avian influenza virus strains and isolates;

(iv)

organising periodical comparative tests of diagnostic procedures at Community level;

(v)

collecting and collating data and information on the methods of diagnosis used and the results of tests carried out in the Community;

(vi)

characterising isolates of avian influenza viruses by the most up-to-date methods available to allow greater understanding of the epidemiology of avian influenza and to gain an insight into the epidemiology of the virus and the emergence of highly pathogenic and potentially pathogenic strains;

(vii)

keeping abreast of developments in avian influenza surveillance, epidemiology and prevention worldwide;

(viii)

retaining expertise on avian influenza virus and other pertinent viruses to enable rapid differential diagnosis;

(ix)

acquiring a knowledge of the preparation and use of the products of veterinary immunology used to control avian influenza;

(b)

to assist actively in the diagnosis of outbreaks in the Community by receiving isolates of influenza viruses of avian origin for confirmatory diagnosis, characterisation and epidemiological studies and to obtain virus isolates from primary outbreaks to be submitted from third countries authorised for the importation of live poultry and meat into the Community pursuant to the relevant Community legislation; on the virus isolates received, the Community reference laboratory shall in particular carry out the following:

(i)

nucleotide sequencing analysis to allow determination of the deduced amino acid sequence at the cleavage site of the haemagglutinin molecule;

(ii)

determination of the intravenous pathogenicity index (IVPI);

(iii)

antigenic typing;

(iv)

phylogenetic analysis to assist in epidemiological investigations;

(c)

to facilitate the training or retraining of experts in laboratory diagnosis with a view to the harmonisation of techniques throughout the Community;

(d)

to prepare the programme and working documents for the Annual Meeting of National Reference Laboratories;

(e)

to assist in the conduct of avian influenza surveys in poultry and wild birds to be carried out in the Member States by supplying antigens in the framework of the programme and the approved testing procedures and prepare a summary report on the results of the surveys;

(f)

to keep under review the possible zoonotic impact arising from avian influenza viruses and collaborate with internationally recognised human influenza laboratories;

(g)

to develop, in consultation with the Commission, a crisis and contingency plan which shall include provision for the cooperation with the OIE and FAO reference laboratory for avian influenza and, as appropriate, with other internationally recognised laboratories within the Community.