Regional Reference Laboratory for Pathogenic Enterobacteria

The Laboratory takes part in the national network for surveillance of infections by Pathogenic Enterobacteria. The network, known as Enter-Net Italia, is coordinated by the National Institute of Health (ISS), and collects and manages data of human and environmental origin. The network makes use of the collaboration of the Regional Reference Laboratories and represents the Italian section of the European surveillance network for infections by Salmonella spp. and Verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC), and for monitoring the resistance of these bacteria to antimicrobial drugs.

In 1999 a second network, known as Enter-Vet, was set up which, in close collaboration with the first, collects and manages data of veterinary origin (foodstuffs, animals, feeds).

The Regional Reference Laboratory for Pathogenic Enterobacteria tasks are as follows:

serological typing of the strains of Salmonella and of other enteropathogenic bacteria (Shigella spp., Yersinia enterocolitica, Verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC), Campylobacter Jejuni);
studying their resistance profiles in relation to anti-microbial drugs, both with classical methods and with molecular methods;
molecular characterization of the strains of Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli O157:H7, Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli involved in focuses of alimentary toxic infection;
sending data to and collaborating with the surveillance networks Enter-net Italia and Enter-Vet;
comparing the results of the surveillance over Abruzzo territory with the results from other Italian Regions and other European countries which take part in the Enter-Net Italia network.

The bacterial strains isolated from humans, animals and the environment, coming from hospitals, other health institutions in the Abruzzo Region or from the Laboratories of the Istituto G. Caporale have to arrive at the Regional Reference Laboratory for Pathogenic Enterobacteria accompanied by the appropriate data collection form: