The European Network of P4 Laboratories (ENP4Lab) will build on experience gained with the previous Euronetp4 project, preserving and strengthening collaboration among European P4 Laboratories. The project will undertake efforts to further enhance preparedness by focusing on harmonisation and standardisation of existing practices, biosafety and biosecurity issues connected with the laboratory diagnosis of group 4 agents, also in consideration of the European enlargement process that will lead to the inclusion of new laboratories in the pre-existing network. Another important issue will be to offer support to international organisations/agencies (WHO, ECDC) for outbreak investigations in or outside Europe, and to collect reference samples with which to validate new diagnostic methods.

The work of the network will focus on the following objectives:

1.    to strengthen the existing infrastructure for the communication and diagnostic management of biological samples suspected to contain P4 agents and reinforce links with other networks/agencies: ENIVD, GHSAG-LN, WHO, ECDC.

2.    to facilitate exchange of information among partners and network participants

3.    to create a checklist to be used as a standardised evaluation tool for biosafety and biosecurity issues to be implemented in the new European P4 laboratories. Such tool will be evaluated in the existing P4 facilities; it will be used for biosafety and biosecurity audits to be offered to new class 4 laboratories.

4.    to harmonise and standardise diagnostic procedures, and to assess diagnostic capability within the network. To offer assistance and support to new BSL4 Laboratories for the implementation diagnostic tests for group 4 agents.

5.    to perform a feasibility study on the implementation of mobile labs to be used to perform diagnosis of group 4 agents infection in European Countries and/or in Countries outside Europe where these agents are endemic or outbreaks occur, contributing to overall capacity building for preparedness and rapid response to public health threats and emergencies in European Countries.

Photo by Teresa Burzigotti