Head: Petr Kodym, M.A., Ph.D.

The NRL was established in 1953 at the National Institute of Public Health (formerly Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology) in Prague by the Chief Public Health Officer of the Ministry of Health, then transferred to the District Public Health Agency in Jihlava for 40 years, and after that to the Regional Public Health Agency in Ostrava. Since September 21, 1993 the NRL was transferred to the National Institute of Public Health in Prague again.

• Research and diagnosis of leptospirosis; correlation between laboratory results and clinical condition of patients infected with Leptospira
• Testing and implementing novel diagnostic methods (both antibody and DNA detection) maintenance of Leptospira reference strains in the National Culture Collection (genetic patrimony of the Czech Republic), production of diagnostic sera and antigens for the needs of the NRL and other diagnostic laboratories of the Public Health Agency and Veterinary Health Agency of the Czech Republic
• Participation in solving serious epidemiological problems and analysis of epidemiological data in cooperation with the National Reference Centre for Epidemiological Data Analysis of the Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology of the National Institute of Public Health in Prague and Veterinary Health Agency, investigation of reservoir animals during epizootic outbreaks in endemic foci of infection, providing expert opinions and consulting for the Chief Public Health Officer of the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic;
• Consulting, training courses, lecturing, and publication of results;
• Participation in controlling and testing domestic and imported diagnostic tools and culture media.
• Testing and implementing novel diagnostic methods, maintenance of Leptospira reference strains in the National Culture Collection (genetic patrimony of the Czech Republic), production of diagnostic sera and antigens for the needs of the NRL and other diagnostic laboratories of the Public Health Agency and Veterinary Health Agency of the Czech Republic (about 500 clinical specimens tested per year and about twice as many outbreak specimens tested per year);
• Participation in solving serious epidemiological problems and analysis of epidemiological data in cooperation with the National Reference Centre for Epidemiological Data Analysis of the Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology of the National Institute of Public Health in Prague and Veterinary Health Agency, investigation of reservoir animals during epizootic outbreaks in endemic foci of infection, providing expert opinions and consulting for the Chief Public Health Officer of the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic;
• Consulting, training courses, lecturing, and publication of results;
• Participation in controlling and testing domestic and imported diagnostic tools and culture media.

External quality assessment scheme:
In cooperation with the Accreditation Department of the Centre of Epidemiology and Microbiology, the NRL prepares EQAS test samples and evaluates results of the EQAS - Leptospirosis serology.