Anses Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire Alimentation Environnement Travail

The Maisons-Alfort laboratory, which employs 120 people, plays a role in protecting animal and public health. Its work focuses on major and emerging diseases specific to animals (epizootics) or transmissible to humans (zoonoses). Various species are concerned, although the laboratory specialises in horses.

The laboratory relies on every one of its skills to aid health authorities with decision-making

· it develops detection, characterisation and prevention tools,

· it studies pathogens (viruses, bacteria and parasites) and host-pathogen relationships,

· it monitors the emergence and spread of diseases and analyses their causes,

· it assesses related risks,

It is the reference laboratory for several animal diseases on the national, European and international level and provides scientific and technical support for health inspections (identification and characterisation of infectious agents, production and control of biological reagents and vaccines, validation of analytical data, standardisation and assessment of analytical methods, field laboratory training, etc.).

Research teams and units

Bacterial zoonoses
Epidemiology
Virology (joint ANSES- INRA- ENVA unit)
Molecular biology and fungal and parasitic immunology (joint ANSES- INRA- ENVA- Université Paris XII unit)
Anthrax

Reference activities

· OIE Reference Laboratory and FAO Reference laboratory: brucellosis, bovine tuberculosis, paratuberculosis
· Community Reference Laboratory: brucellosis
· National Reference Centre (CNR): human brucellosis
· National Reference Centre - Partner Laboratory: anthrax
· National Reference Laboratory (LNR): animal brucellosis, anthrax, avian chlamydiosis, tuberculosis, tularemia, foot and mouth disease, swine vesicular disease, paratuberculosis, African horse sickness, glanders, trichinellosis, toxoplasmosis.

Main research programmes

· Virology: foot and mouth disease, bluetongue, viral zoonoses (West Nile, Hepatitis E) and the species barrier, equine viruses, emerging (encephalomyocarditis) and recurring viruses, recombinant vaccines.
· Bacterial zoonoses: brucellosis, mycobacterial infections, tularemia, avian chlamydiosis, anthrax, diseases transmitted by ectoparasites (Bartonella, Erlichia, etc).
· Parasitic zoonoses: trichinellosis, toxoplamosis, giardiosis, cryptosporidiosis.
· Mycoses: Aspergillus, Pneumocystis, etc.
· Epidemiology: modelling, decision-aiding, biostatistics, etc.

August 2009

Main partners

In France
- Institutional partnership
Other Anses laboratories, OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health), Directorate General for Food, INVS (French Institute for Public Health Surveillance), INRA (French National Institute for Agricultural Research), CIRAD (French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development), CNES (French National Centre for Space Research), National Veterinary Colleges, Institut Pasteur of Paris, ACERSA (French Certification Association for Animal Health), FNGDS (Federation for Health Protection Associations), Office national de la chasse et de la faune sauvage, ADILVA (French Association of Directors and Managers of Public Analysis Veterinary Laboratories), Centre d’Etudes du Bouchet, Hôpital interarmées Begin, Centre de recherches des Services de Santé des Armées, Paris-Sud-Orsay University, Paris XII University, Paris VI University, Conseil régional d’Ile-de-France, etc.
- Private partners
MERIAL, SEPPIC, IDvet, Institut Pourquier, Biorad, Microvision

Abroad
Lanzhou Agricultural University (China), Jilin University (China), CINVESTAV Mexico, CODA-CERVA (Belgium), Pamplona University (Spain), Northern Arizona University (Flagstaff, USA), University of California, Davis (USA), University of Zagreb (Croatia), all European national reference laboratories, EUFMD of the FAO (Rome), a large number of European research institutes (all EU countries are represented).