Head: Petra Rainetová, M.D.

• is WHO accredited as a National Poliovirus Laboratory;
• engages in the national virological surveillance program of acute flaccid paralysis (active participation in the WHO database EURO POLIO PAGE)
• performs isolation and identification of polioviruses and other enteroviruses in paralytic and other diseases affecting primarily the CNS;
• engages in the national poliovirus environmental surveillance program;
• performs isolation and identification of polioviruses in sewage;
• cooperates with the WHO Enterovirus RRL in Helsinki in determining intratype characteristics and in monitoring antigenic changes in the poliovirus strains isolated;
• · tests, introduces, and implements methods for the diagnosis and typing of enteroviruses, including molecular biological methods in line with the WHO recommendations;
• · detects enteroviruses in clinical specimens (stool, CSF, exudate, nasopharyngeal swab, etc.) from patients with neurological, cardiovascular, or gastroenterological disorders and in sewage samples for health care settings and the Public Health Agency;
• detects adenoviruses in clinical specimens (stool) from patients with gastroenterological disorders for health care settings;
• monitors poliovirus antibody levels in immunocompromised children, neurology or cancer patients, subjects immunized with inactivated vaccine, travellers to regions with the occurrence of wild poliovirus strains, including recommendation of subsequent vaccination;
• follows up levels of antibodies against Coxsackie and echo viruses in patients with cardiovascular disorders and diabetes mellitus;
• has been involved in the diagnosis of diseases caused by hantaviruses in the context of the epidemiology, clinical course and ecology of the infection;
• participates in the international external laboratory quality assessment schemes (EQAS, QCMD - Quality Control for Molecular Diagnostics);
• has been involved in the preparation of samples and evaluation of results within the NIPH EQAS;
• evaluates the performance of in vitro diagnostic tools from commercial suppliers;
• provides consulting and practical training to the virology laboratory staff, beginner courses, pregraduate and postgraduate training, lecturing, etc.
• cooperates with the NRL for Influenza in the area of H1N1 pandemic influenza