The National Meningitis Reference Laboratory as only Reference Laboratory in Greece providing the expertise on conventional and molecular identification of the microorganisms causing bacterial meningitis (i.e Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae type b, Listeria monocytogenes, Streptococcus spp, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Haemophilus influenzae (non-b) and Staph aureus.
The aim of the scientific work is to investigate the isolates and biological samples of the aforementioned microorganisms in the Greek population and to provide the epidemiological data of each causative agent aiming on the early detection or introduction of new clones in Greece.
The successful close collaboration with the hospitals throughout Greece (on sending biological samples) as well as with the involved Public Health stakeholders (Ministry of Health and EODY) the Reference Laboratory supplies laboratory epidemiological data which are included in the Database of EODY and are directly accessible by the interested Public Health & Epidemiological Surveillance Bodies in cases of outbreaks, or epidemics.
Furthermore, the Reference Laboratory provides -upon request- expert opinion to the National Vaccination Committee on assessing new related to the above microorganisms vaccines in order to be to be included in the national vaccination program.
Project Τitle: Contract between the National Meningitis Reference Laboratory and the National Public Health Organisation (EODY)
Project Duration: 03/02/2020-31/12/2020
Project Framework & Funding: Contract between the National Meningitis Reference Laboratory and the National Public Health Organisation (EODY) (RESCOM 80648)
Funding: 106.547,50 (contract number ΚΠ6547/2020 (23/03/2020))
Principal Investigator (UNIWA): Dr Georgina Tzanakaki, Professor, Public Health Microbiology, Email: gtzanakaki@uniwa,gr, Tel: 213-2010267/268
Consortium – Partners:
- National Meningitis Reference Laboratory Dept of Public Health Policy, School of Public Health, University of West Attica (Principal Investigator)
- National Public Health Organisation (EODY) contract number ΚΠ6547/2020 (23/03/2020)
Research Publications
- Tzanakaki G, Georgakopoulou Th, Xirogianni A, Papandreou A, Deghmane AE, Magaziotou I, Taha MK. (2020) First report of meningococcal ciprofloxacin resistance in Greece due to invasive isolates of the sequence type ST-3129. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis (submitted for publication)
- Flountzi A, Georgakopoulou T, Balasegaram S, Kesanopoulos K, Xirogianni A, Papandreou A, Tzanakaki G; Members of the Hellenic network for Invasive meningococcal disease.(2019) Epidemiology of invasive meningococcal disease in Greece, 2006-2016. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. Aug 15. doi: 10.1007/s10096-019-03668-y. (Review article)
- Tzanakaki G. N. meningitidis: Molecular Epidemiology Surveillance and protein based vaccines. 22nd Meeting of Pediatric Society for Infectious Diseases, Athens, December 2018 (invited speaker).
