Public Health

Public Health is treated within the Laboratory for Diagnosing Transmissible Animal Diseases (LADIMAT), which is divided into three departments:

• Serology
• Virology
• Diagnostic Microbiology, Anatomo-histopathology, Parasitology and Mycology

The Laboratory's activities, which are directed at safeguarding animal health through diagnosis of diseases, are of primary importance to the production chain of foods of animal origin. A product is wholesome when it comes from healthy animals, reared according to good production practices, in observance of the rules about animal welfare.

Within the territory under its jurisdiction, the Institute carries on this activity through Eradication and Surveillance National Plans. LADIMAT provides consultancy to livestock farmers, to professional vets and to the official Veterinary Service, with particular reference to zoonoses.

The Laboratory offers technical and scientific support to public and private bodies in matters of health and protection of wildlife. It also carries out research directed at the development of new techniques for the diagnosis of animal diseases and the study of pathologies correlated with viruses, bacteria and mycetes in domestic and wild animals.

The National Reference Centre for Brucellosis and the WOAH Reference Laboratories for Brucellosis and Bluetongue all operate within LADIMAT.

The Laboratory is involved in cooperation projects with African countries such as Eritrea and Namibia, in a spirit of mutual cultural growth and exchange of professional experiences.

Head Laboratory: Dr. Giovanni Savini - g.savini@izs.it