The National Reference Laboratory for Arboviruses and Hemorrhagic Fevers at the Institute of Virology, Vaccines, and Sera “Torlak” acquired its status by the Decision on Reference Laboratories for the Control of Infectious Diseases issued by the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Serbia in 2009, thereby entrusted with the responsibility to monitor the circulation of arboviruses and other vector-borne viruses in our country.
Standardized and validated analytical methods developed and verified by relevant institutions are implemented in the laboratory. Rigorous quality control and testing are conducted to ensure a high standard of accuracy and precision of the obtained results, confirmed by excellent results of external quality assessment (EQA) checks. The analyses are carried out by experienced and trained staff in laboratory facilities that meet all biosafety requirements.
The National Reference Laboratory for Arboviruses and Hemorrhagic Fevers performs the following activities:
• diagnosis of viral hemorrhagic fevers
• assistance in cases of hemorrhagic fevers (especially imported cases) and collaboration with the epidemiological service as well as other national reference centers for hemorrhagic fevers in Europe
• development and adaptation of molecular techniques for the diagnosis and monitoring of viral hemorrhagic fevers
• collaboration in the establishment of national surveillance programs
• providing basic epidemiological data to central services for epidemiological surveillance
• reporting to the World Health Organization on the circulation of viruses in the territory of the Republic of Serbia
The National Reference Laboratory for Arboviruses and Hemorrhagic Fevers performs the following analyses:
- Molecular diagnostics (real-time PCR) for West Nile virus, Dengue virus, yellow fever virus, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus, monkeypox virus, Chikungunya virus, Zika virus, Rift Valley fever virus, and tick-borne encephalitis virus
- Serological analyses (ELISA method) for hantaviruses, West Nile virus, TBE virus (tick-borne encephalitis virus), Dengue virus, Zika virus, Chikungunya virus
- Indirect immunofluorescence test (Hantaviruses, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus)
- Virus isolation on cell lines
You can view the expert methodological instructions for virological surveillance of West Nile fever here.
You can view the laboratory testing referral form for a suspected case of West Nile fever here.
