EURONET – P4

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Description
Action Enhancing the capability of responding rapidly and in a co-ordinated fashion to health threats Area of activity Development of a European network of P4 laboratories to enable rapid, effective and coordinated responses to health threats to European populations resulting from natural infection by class 4 agents or their deliberate release. Summary • Development of a network of the existing European P4 reference laboratories. • Improvement of laboratory diagnostic capabilities, in particular for rapid, safe and sensitive identification of viruses causing haemorrhagic fevers, emerging encephalitis, and smallpox. • Recommendation and promotion of joint research programmes oriented to therapy and prevention of diseases caused by class 4 agents. • Establishment of a co-operation agreement covering training, communication and service availability between the reference P4 laboratories and identified laboratories from all Member States to facilitate global awareness, preparedness, and response to public health threats associated with class 4 agents. More info...
Description      -      Financing      -      Outcomes      -      More info
Financing
Leader organisation INMI (Istituto Nazionale per le Malattie Infettive), IRCCS, Lazzaro Spallanzani, Rome Via Portuense 292 I-00149 Rome ITALY Tel: +39.06.551701 Fax: +39.06.5594224 Web site: http://www.inmi.it	Contact Person Ippolito GIUSEPPE Tel: +39.06.5594223 Fax: +39.06.5594224 E-mail: ippolito@inmi.it
Associated beneficiaries • Philipps-Universitaet Marburg established in Germany • Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control established in Sweden • Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine established in Germany • Health Protection Agency established in United Kingdom
Starting date and duration of project - 01/01/2005 - 36 months	Total cost 905.772,00 € Subsidy from the Commission 624.983,00 €
Description      -      Financing      -      Outcomes      -      More info
Outcomes
The promotion of an EU Response Network for P4 Virus Infections (EURONET P4) will co-ordinate and standardise: 1) the accurate diagnosis of class 4 agents, 2) the training and exchange of personnel between laboratories in all Member States, and 3) improve the capacity for effective response against natural or deliberate threats to public health involving these infectious agents. • Non-infectious diagnostic reagents will be standardised and made available for exchange between P4 reference laboratories and for delivery to Member State laboratories. • Periodically upgraded procedures and recommendations for biosecurity, diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and transportation of class 4 agents will be produced and made available to participating organisations on a secure website. • Communication channels between the network and appropriate national and international organisations and the European Commission will be reinforced: listing of relevant organisations, laboratories, and experts, with phone, fax, web site and e-mail access routes will be compiled. Means for diffusion of information between the reference P4 laboratories within the secured website will be developed. Teleconferences, annual meetings, mechanisms for short- and long-term visiting scientist participation from other laboratories in Member States will be organised to sustain actions promoting the network. Scientific publications issued from collaborative work inside the network will be encouraged.
Description      -      Financing      -      Outcomes      -      More info
More info
Statement of project aim(s) and objectives Eurosurveillance vise à fournir un service de publication pour l'échange rapide d'informations scientifiques soumises à un Among the class 4 agents, those causing viral haemorrhagic fever (VHF) and smallpox have been widely identified as having the greatest potential for adverse public health impact with high morbidity and mortality, extensive dissemination, and for instilling fear into the target population. The purpose of this project is to promote a European network of expertise so as to enhance the region's capability to respond rapidly and in a co-ordinated way to health threats involving these infectious agents. This enhanced capability will apply equally to importation or natural emergence of these disease agents, and to countering the threat of deliberate release. The network will have four major objectives: • Establish a co-ordinated and accessible P4 infrastructure network for surveillance and diagnosis of VHFs and smallpox • Review current laboratory diagnostic capabilities for class 4 agents, and disseminate best practice around the network • Facilitate development of new hazard-free diagnostic tests transferable to laboratories in all Member States • Establish a mechanism for information exchange with rapid communication to national, European and international authorities. There will be three face-to-face meetings in Luxembourg at the beginning, midway and end of the project to co-ordinate the following actions and monitor progress and work will proceed with information exchange via e-mail and regular teleconferences. Specific tasks will be assigned to individual members or small groups. Annual scientific conferences will be organised and one will gather together designated persons responsible for national surveillance and diagnosis of class 4 agents in the member states. This network will lead to improved laboratory diagnostic capabilities and provide for the epidemiological investigation of outbreaks caused by the most dangerous viral pathogens. These services will be made available to all member states, providing them with state-of-the-art support against incidents involving infections by P4 agents resulting from normal events or through bioterrorism.
Methods • An action group including scientists and physicians with particular expertise in class 4 viruses will be designated to: • Rapidly identify the gaps to be filled in order to reinforce the P4 laboratory network for co-ordinated and effective surveillance and diagnosis of viral haemorrhagic fevers, emerging encephalitis and smallpox. • Review current laboratory diagnostic capabilities for class 4 agents and arrange for the exchange of the most effective methods among the different laboratories. • Establish mechanisms for information sharing, with rapid communication to relevant national authorities, to the European Commission and to the World Health Organisation. • Laboratory procedures and methodologies will be reviewed among the P4 laboratories in order to: • Identify and stimulate the development of the necessary high quality reagents for the implementation of biohazard-free diagnostic systems to be shared among the P4 laboratories and transferred to appropriate laboratories of all Member States and developing countries. • Identify and exchange validated procedures for inactivation of infectivity in reagents for diagnostic assays to facilitate safe work procedures in Member State laboratories. A consultative group of experts will be assembled for emergency response, with capabilities in both laboratory support and medical and epidemiological work in the field.