ISS 18 giugno 2021
The Italian sequencing network has been set up to ensure epidemiological surveillance, sequencing of circulating virus strains, immunological monitoring, as well as research and training on various aspects of the SARS infection in an integrated manner, and all on a single public CoV-2 platform. This is a permanent structure for the management of this and future infectious disease emergencies in our Country.
The network, which brings together existing centres, functions and professionals, is promoted by the Ministry of Health backed by multi-year structural funding, and is developed in collaboration with the anti-COVID-19 Commissioner’s Office headed by General Francesco Figliuolo; the sequencing facilities will consist of the regional microbiology laboratories of reference, military health laboratories, and supporting microbiology laboratories identified within each Region / Autonomous Province and will receive contributions also from centres with high sequencing capacity.
A fundamental role will be played by the research centres which, in addition to developing knowledge, will contribute to strengthening the training network for young specialists. Important support will be given to the establishment of a network of laboratories for the immunological monitoring of the efficacy of vaccines and the response to natural infection.
"The network presents itself today as a 'system' that brings together, strengthens and coordinates the highly professional action of the regional laboratories of reference, thanks to which we currently monitor the presence of virus variants in our Country - says Silvio Brusaferro, president of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità – ISS (the Italian National
Institute of Health) through the research and training centres and professionals, placing the initial idea of a consortium in a more articulated and comprehensive context”.
The network, which will ensure surveillance of the circulation of genetic variants of SARS-CoV-2 on a single platform, will be integrated with the COVID-19 surveillance system coordinated by the ISS and with the national vaccination registry coordinated by the Ministry of Health.
Thanks to this network, it will be possible to enrich the monitoring and study of these and other future epidemics from different perspectives: in addition to epidemiological and monitoring surveillance, virus and immunology studies will also be carried out, as well as studies to understand the mechanisms and effects of the disease, observation and assessment of the antibody and cell response to vaccination, and last but not least training young people with specific skills in the fields of virology and immunology, in order to strengthen the capacity for prevention, control and response to infectious diseases.
