National Reference Laboratory for Herpes Viruses
Head: Ing. Michaela Růžková, Ph.D.
- performs serological and molecular biological testing for diagnostic markers of Herpes performs serological and molecular biological testing for diagnostic markers of Herpes viruses (HSV1, HSV2, VZV, CMV, EBV, HHV6, and HHV8) for health care settings. NRL uses both routine and highly sophisticated methods in the comprehensive diagnosis of Herpes virus infections in patients with complicated conditions, i.e. immunosuppressed and immunodeficient patients, haematology and cancer patients, patients with congenital infections, neurology patients and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) patients.
- performs confirmatory testing of all above-mentioned markers and provides consulting to microbiology and serology laboratories.
- uses typing methods to differentiate between wild-type and vaccine VZV strains.
- engages in the country-wide external quality control scheme (EQAS) for serology EBV, HSV and VZV, Herpes viruses cultivation on monolayer culture and PCR detection of HSV1,2 and VZV in diagnostic virology laboratories in the Czech Republic. The NRL develops guidelines for the implementation and optimisation of Herpes virus diagnostic methods in clinical laboratories.
- provides training to the diagnostic laboratory staff, organizes workshops and postgraduate courses.
- has been involved in the development of the recommended procedures for the diagnosis and treatment of Herpes viruses infections, with the J.E. Purkyně Czech Medical Association as the guarantor.
- examines diagnostic kits and novel diagnostic procedures for efficiency.
- participates in the international quality control schemes of the Institute for Standardization and Documentation in Medical Laboratories INSTAND e.V., Society for Promoting Quality Assurance in Medical Laboratories, Düsseldorf, Germany.