ANNEX VIII(referred to in Article 51(3))
Function and duties of the national reference laboratories
1.The national reference laboratories shall be responsible for ensuring that in each Member State the laboratory testing to detect the presence of avian influenza and the identification of the genetic type of virus isolates are carried out in accordance with the diagnostic manual. For that purpose, they may make special agreements with the Community reference laboratory or with other national laboratories.
2.The national reference laboratories shall submit isolates of influenza virus of avian origin to the Community reference laboratory without delay for full characterisation:
(a)
from all primary outbreaks of avian influenza;
(b)
in case of secondary outbreaks, from representative number of outbreaks;
(c)
in case of detection of influenza viruses other than those referred to in Annex I(1) in poultry, other captive birds or mammals posing a serious threat to health.
3.The national reference laboratory in each Member State shall be responsible for coordinating the standards and diagnostic methods in each avian influenza diagnostic laboratory within that Member State. For that purpose:
(a)
it may provide individual laboratories with diagnostic reagents;
(b)
it shall control the quality of all diagnostic reagents used in that Member State;
(c)
it shall arrange comparative tests periodically;
(d)
it shall hold isolates of avian influenza virus from outbreaks and of any other influenza viruses of avian origin detected in that Member State;
(e)
it shall collaborate with the national human influenza laboratories.