Partner 22 – The National Institute of Research and Development for Microbiology and Immunology “Cantacuzino” (NIRDMI)

Cantacuzino National Institute for Research and Development in Microbiology and Immunology (NIRDMI), located in Bucharest, Romania, is an institution of public importance, in the coordination of the Ministry of Health, as the main technical and scientific competent body involved in the development and application of programs aiming at preventing and controlling infectious diseases. Main fields of activity are: microbiological surveillance by the National Reference Centres recognized by the Ministry of Health for diagnosis and surveillance of communicable diseases; fundamental and applied research in microbiology and immunology; production of vaccines, bacterial immuno-modulators.

The present project is involving a research team from the Vector Borne Infections, Medical Entomology, and Molecular Microbiology Laboratories in Cantacuzino NIRDMI. This team will participate in the Mosquito borne diseases subproject, with field based research to understand the enzootic transmission West Nile virus in the Danube Delta and its emergence in humans in urban areas. Besides biology of vectors studies, molecular detection of the West Nile virus in mosquito pools, and virus isolation tests will be performed. The detected virus will be sequenced and phylogenetic analysis will be performed as well.

Dr Ceianu had contributions in West Nile virus outbreaks investigation and West Nile virus surveillance in Romania starting with 1996 till present.