Page 512 - The Veterinary Laboratory and Field Manual 3rd Edition

OIE’s core missions in relation to laboratories working in the veterinary domain 449

providing the evidence base for veterinary ser- eases, provide diagnostic testing facilities, and
vices’ decision making, and, in turn, ensuring scientific and technical advice on disease control
good governance of the veterinary services in measures to OIE members.
OIE member countries. OIE reference laboratories are expected to
The OIE counts on the full involvement of maintain a system of quality assurance, biosafety
laboratory focal points in the implementation of and biosecurity relevant for the pathogen and
the OIE international standards; their continued the disease concerned, establish and maintain a
dedication will inform the OIE’s work on addi- network with other OIE reference laboratories
tional guidance and tools related to laboratories. designated for the same pathogen or disease
and organize regular inter-laboratory proficiency
testing to ensure comparability of results, and
oIE reference centres organize inter-laboratory proficiency testing
with laboratories other than OIE reference labo-
An OIE reference centre is designated either ratories for the same pathogens and diseases to
as an ‘OIE reference laboratory’, the principal ensure equivalence of results. 20
mandate of which is to function as a world refer- In its designated specialty, an OIE col-
ence centre of expertise on designated pathogens laborating centre must provide its expertise
or diseases, or an ‘OIE collaborating centre’ internationally in support of the implementa-
the principal mandate of which is to function tion of OIE standards and seek collaboration
as a world centre of research, expertise, stan- with other OIE reference centres. They are
dardization of techniques and dissemination of also expected to propose or develop methods
knowledge on a specialty. 19 and procedures that facilitate harmonization of
The network of OIE reference centres con- international standards and guidelines applica-
stitutes the core of OIE scientific expertise and ble to the designated specialty, to carry out and/
excellence. The ongoing contribution of these or coordinate scientific and technical studies in
institutes to the work of the OIE ensures that collaboration with other centres, laboratories or
the standards, guidelines and recommendations organizations, and to collect, process, analyse,
developed by the specialist commissions and publish and disseminate data and information
published by the OIE are scientifically sound relevant to the designated specialty. 21
and up-to-date.
OIE reference laboratories should use,
promote and disseminate diagnostic meth- oIE register of diagnostic kits
ods validated according to OIE standards,
recommend tests or vaccines as OIE standards, In order to ensure high-quality results, OIE
develop reference material in accordance with members and their laboratories need diagnostic
OIE requirements, implement and promote kits that are known to be validated according to
the application of OIE standards and store and OIE criteria. In order to improve the quality of
distribute to national laboratories biological kits, to ensure that the diagnostic kits can be
reference products and any other reagents used used to correctly establish animal disease status
in the diagnosis and control of the designated and to enhance confidence in diagnostic kits, the
pathogens or diseases. These laboratories should OIE developed the OIE register of diagnostic
also develop, standardize and validate according kits. Diagnostic tests validated as fit-for-pur-
to OIE standards new procedures for diagnosis pose are included in the register of the OIE. The
and control of the designated pathogens or dis- aims of the OIE procedure for the registration of

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