Institute of Public Health, Public Health and Surveillance, J, Wytsmanstreet 14, 1050, Brussels, Belgium.
Arch Public Health. 2012 Jun 22;70(1):16. doi: 10.1186/0778-7367-70-16.
Microbiology reference laboratories are critical in the development of high-quality clinical and public health services. In Belgium, the reference laboratories performed their activities on a voluntary basis and lacked a legal status.
Pathogens or groups of pathogens necessitating a national reference center (NRC) were prioritized based on diagnostic and epidemiologic relevance. Terms of reference for each of these pathogens were developed.
Recently, 40 NRCs for different pathogens or groups of pathogens have been installed in Belgium to fulfill the following core functions: offering reference diagnostics, collecting reference materials, sharing information and scientific advice, participating in national and international networks, collaborating with research workgroups, and contributing to surveillance activities.
These NRCs are important focal points of the national and international network in public health microbiology.
微生物学参考实验室对于高质量临床和公共卫生服务的发展至关重要。在比利时，参考实验室是自愿开展活动的，并且缺乏法律地位。
根据诊断和流行病学的相关性，对需要国家参考中心（NRC）的病原体或病原体群进行优先级排序。为每个病原体制定了职权范围。
最近，比利时已经设立了 40 个针对不同病原体或病原体群的 NRC，以履行以下核心职能：提供参考诊断、收集参考材料、共享信息和科学建议、参与国家和国际网络、与研究工作组合作以及为监测活动做出贡献。
这些 NRC 是公共卫生微生物学国家和国际网络的重要焦点。
