Agriculture Centre Rishon

Lezion

Israel
Laboratory (ies) involved: Kimron Veterinary Institute - Virology Division and Laboratory of Foot and Mouth Disease

Research topics

The KVI is the diagnostic and research arm of the Veterinary Services of the Ministry of Agriculture. The KVI comprises 17 laboratories. The laboratories are allocated to 5 divisions (Division of Pathology, Division of Avian and Fish Diseases , Division of Parasitology, Division of Bacteriology, Division of Virology.

Functions of the KVI are diagnosis in the laboratory and on the farm, research and development, extension, vaccine control and production, and public health. provides a comprehensive veterinary diagnostic service for livestock health, feed and food industries, export and import of animals and products of animal origin.

Diagnosis of major zoonotic diseases such as rabies, brucellosis and tuberculosis is carried out at the KVI, in reference laboratories serving the medical community too. Most of the biological samples (apart from blood samples) are initially screened by the Department of Pathology. After necropsy or gross examination, the samples are distributed among the various departments, depending on the initial pathological findings and the clinical requirements. In 2003 nearly 3,500 necropsies were performed, and 350,000 examinations were carried out in the various laboratories.

Functions of each laboratory are largely determined by its diagnostic responsibilities. Several departments are primarily diagnosis orientated, whereas other departments are concerned mainly with research. Most research projects involve applied approaches to veterinary problems in Israel. In 2003 more then 100 projects were carried out.

The FMD laboratory of the Virology division of the KVI is located in high containment BL3 building with functional area of 1000 sq m of fully equipped diagnosis, research and molecular laboratories and 4 flexible modular stables for infection experiments. The facility was designed according to GLP and GMP regulations the all complex was finalised on 2002. The virology division comprise also laboratory for diagnosis of prions which serve the entire of the country. The poultry division of the KVI comprises full equipped laboratories for bacteriology, virology, molecular virology Avian Flu and 40 high containment isolation cabinets for 15 – 20 chickens each, used for experimental infection trials

Contact person

Dr. Irit Davidson

Division of Avian Diseases

Kimron Veterinary Institute

Bet Dagan, P.O.Box 12

Israel 50250

Tel. 972-3-9681602

Email : davidsoni@int.gov.il

Activities and services

KVI carries out routine diagnosis and research projects of farm animals and poultry. Animal experiments can be conducted with any domestic farm species. Disease models for FMD, LSD, BT, Sheep pox, PPR, Avian Flu, NCD, Gumboro, Avian Infectious Bronchitis, available. Molecular techniques and virus isolation are routinely performed. A cell sorter is available at the Parasitology division. Pathology: gross pathology, histology, immunohistochemistry. Parasitology diagnosis, research and vaccine development and production of blood parasites

Description of the access to provide

The use of the BL3 infection stable facilities and the poultry isolation cabinets will be available on annual planning basis. Each visiting scientist will be linked to a local research group with expertise in the same or closest possible research field. Two installations will be available for access

>> Installation n°: 1

Location of work: Bet Dagan, Israel

Type: Poultry Isol Cabs.

Unit of Access: The unit of access is defined as 2 weeks i.e. 5 working days for 2 users (10 days) typically one scientist and one assistant (student or technician) but this last point will be modulated according to the experiment.

Number of unit access to provide: 8

Number of users estimated: 16

Cost by unit: 1701 Euros

>> Installation n°: 2

Location of work: Bet Dagan, Israel

Type: Foot and Mouth Disease stables - BL3

Unit of Access: The unit of access is defined as 2 months i.e. 20 working days for 2 users (40 days) typically one scientist and one assistant (student or technician) but this last point will be modulated according to the experiment

Number of unit access to provide: 8

Number of users estimated: 16

Cost by unit: 9929 Euros

>> Access typically consists of:

Preparing the experiment: discussions on the definitive time schedule, sampling period and quality of samples, analyses to be made immediately or later with stored samples, modalities of storing samples (fixation, freezing, temperature of freezing, number of aliquots etc …), preparing the inoculums and all consumables needed, checking the sanitary status of the animals etc.

>> Support offered

Same support regarding BL3 infection stable facilities and the poultry isolation cabinets than usual. KVI offers important possibilities of working in research areas as: pathology, immunology, diagnosis and molecular characterisation of pathogens. All users will have full access to KVI services and infrastructures not only of the animal facility but also those of BSL-3 and BSL-2 laboratories. The appropriate KVI and technicians will be appointed in order to support work in laboratories as well as animal experimentation auxiliary tasks like inoculations, sample collection, and necropsies.

NUMBER of participants accepted:

Number of participants variable, it can be agreed with the hosting facility

Number of available access :

• At Poultry Isol Cabs: 8
• At Foot and Mouth Disease stables - BL3: 8

Travel and subsistence costs

Assistance will be provided to access users in finding accommodation and/or transportation in the KVI neighbourhood. Reimbursement of travel, accommodation, subsistence costs will be done according to the KVI accountancy rules.

Conditions of participant involvement

After the end of each project the candidate will:

• Submit a short report
• Fill a questionnaire available on-line at: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/capacities/questionnaire_en.html
• The participant is entitled to publish the results of its work at the infrastructure in the open literature.All publications resulting from the project should acknowledge this EC-support by mentioning : “The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Community‘s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement n° 228394”
• Proprietary research (research where results are not generally available to the public or only made available under confidentiality arrangements) cannot be supported.
• Travel and subsistence expenses linked to the access will be reimbursed upon approval of the report. Reimbursements will be done according to administrative rules of each hosting organisation.
• For more information about transnational access conditions, see the ANNEX III to the Grant Agreement - Infrastructures

Infrastructure ethical rules

Applicants will be required to provide detailed information about ethical issues (benefits that justify the use of animals, procedures adopted to ensure that the amount of suffering to the animals is minimised, main adverse effects for the animals as well as steps taken to comply with the principles of reduction, refinement and replacement).

Recent publications

Online at: http://www.vetserveng.moag.gov.il/VetServEng/Files/Advertising