Partner 8 Istituto Superiore di Sanita (ISS)
The Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS) is the leading technical and scientific public body of the Italian National Health Service. Its activities include research, control, training and consultation in the interest of public health protection. The Unit of Gastrointestinal and Tissue Parasitic Diseases (UGTPD) belongs to the Department of Infectious, Parasitic and Immunomediated Diseases of the ISS, which mission is fighting diseases due to viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites. UGTPD currently comprises 7 senior researchers, 3 young researchers and 6 technicians. UGTPD was appointed as the International Trichinella Reference Center of the International Commission for Trichinellosis since 1990 and as Reference Laboratory for Trichinella of the World Organization for the Animal Health (OIE) since 1991. UGTPD was also appointed as European Reference Laboratory for the Parasites (EURLP) by the EU Commission, providing services to the NRLs for Parasites, the European Commission, and developing countries since 2006. UGTPD has been involved in several European projects on Cryptosporidium, Giardia, Trichinella, Anisakis and Echinococcus. The extensive expertise of the Unit in genetic typing, molecular epidemiology, immunology and clinical investigation of parasitic infections will allow to integrate an eukaryotic perspective into the activities of COMPARE towards rapid pathogen detection and better risk assessment.
Principle Investigator: Simone Caccio,
simone.caccio@iss.it