Veterinary laboratories contribute to the human sample testing for SARS-CoV-2

In some countries, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, human laboratory diagnostic services are at maximum capacity and, as an alternative, veterinary laboratories are being asked to provide support.

Veterinary laboratories have experience in quality assurance, biosafety and biosecurity, and high throughput testing for the surveillance and control of infectious diseases in animals, some of which are zoonotic.

Read more in the guidance paper by OIE: »Veterinary Veterinary Laboratory Support to the Public Health Response for COVID-19.«

German veterinary laboratories to be officially approved to do COVID testing (article in German by Frankfurter Allgemeine)

In Belgium, Prof. Dr. Hans Nauwynck, the director of the veterinary virology laboratory at Ghent University, validated the serology test for anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. His laboratory tested serum samples from 1101 veterinarians across Belgium and found 57 samples (5.2%) positive.

 

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