Dr
Emmanouil Angelakis
The National Poliovirus/Enterovirus Reference Laboratory (NPRL) is conducting Poliovirus surveillance by the investigation of Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) cases in children. AFP, which is a sensitive marker for poliomyelitis, is investigated by molecular detection of enteroviruses (EVs) and polioviruses (PVs), isolation in cell culture and molecular typing of the isolates. The NPRL has also established Polio Supplementary Surveillance programs in order to complement the disease-based AFP surveillance by supplementary EV surveillance of stool samples from healthy individuals in “high-risk” groups for PV as well as environmental surveillance of potential polio virus circulation in sewage water. In addition, the presence of parechoviruses has been examined in stool specimens from healthy children and children with neurologic symptoms.
In recent years, the NPRL has been involved in the laboratory study of enteroviruses from aseptic meningitis outbreaks from different areas in Greece such as the outbreaks of aseptic meningitis among young children in Northern Greece in 2013 and 2016. Investigation of the outbreaks by the laboratory revealed that the responsible enteroviruses were the Echo30 and Echo6 respectively.
Appl Env. Microb., 2017
