Partner 20 Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH)
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH) is the largest university in Greece. It comprises 9 faculties organized into 39 Schools. The Department of Microbiology in the Medical School of AUTH has 5 units, and houses 3 National Reference Centres: for arboviruses and hemorrhagic fever viruses, for HIV/AIDS and for influenza. The Department of Microbiology is connected with the nearby University Hospital AHEPA. Aim of the Department of Microbiology is to perform the diagnostics (mainly on viruses, but also on bacteria, parasites and fungi), which are not available in the hospital laboratories. The Molecular Diagnostics and Special Pathogens unit (MDSPU) headed by Prof. Dr. Anna Papa, hosts the National Reference Centre for arboviruses and HF viruses, and runs a BSL-3 laboratory. Viruses under research in MDSPU include West Nile virus and mosquito flaviviruses, hantaviruses, Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever virus, and phleboviruses, while the diagnostics cover a wide range of pathogens included in the differential diagnosis of the syndromic surveillance in humans (e.g. herpesviruses and enteroviruses for the central nervous system infections - rickettsia, leptospira, coxiella for syndromes with thrombocytopenia, etc.). Several novel viral strains have been identified in MDSPU, like WNV lineage 2, Cyprus, Adria and Lefkas phleboviruses. The MDSPU has close collaboration with neighbouring Balkan countries, especially on the field of hemorrhagic fevers. There is also collaboration with the Department of Hygiene and Technology of Foods of Animal Origin in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in AUTH, and the Veterinary Research Institute in the National Agricultural Research Foundation of Thessaloniki. MDSPU runs several national projects and participates in FP7 projects of relevance to COMPARE, like ANTIGONE and CCH Fever.
Principle Investigator: Anna Papa,
annap@med.auth.gr