Surveillance Infection Diseases by National Reference Centres humane microbiology: Legionella pneumophila

Since 2011, the Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases Service of Sciensano, in charge of the surveillance of infectious diseases, coordinates a network of reference human microbiology laboratories, called National Reference Centres (NRCs).
Each NRC, composed of one or more laboratories, is designated as such for a pathogen or group of pathogens according to well-defined criteria in a procedure that is repeated at an interval of up to 5 years. The Royal Decree of 9 February 2011 defines the legal and financial framework within which the NRCs operate and the tasks they must perform. NRC activities cover 41 pathogens or groups of pathogens identified as priorities due to needs in terms of diagnosis, quality of care and public health. The NRCs therefore provide support to healthcare providers and epidemiologists by transmitting microbiological and epidemiological data to Sciensano once a year.
The role of NRCs is to contribute to the confirmation and/or diagnosis of certain pathogens (rare or difficult to identify) in samples sent by peripheral laboratories and to carry out the characterization of the referred strains (genotyping, antigen examination, antibiotic resistance study and other tests). Strain characterisation is important for detecting the emergence of new pathogens, observing the evolution of virulence and the distribution of circulating strains. This data thus helps to assess the effectiveness of health policies such as vaccination and the effectiveness of antibiotics. NRCs are also required to provide support to laboratories for laboratory techniques on the one hand and to authorities on the other hand in the management of health threats.
This project involves NRC "Legionella pneumophila".