Last updated on 22-1-2024 by Marinka Vangenck
Surveillance | Monitor the epidemiological situation
Should any cases of plague arise in Belgium, the role of Sciensano’s Epidemiology of infectious diseases service is to:
- describe the cases of plague (in terms of age, gender, geographical location, country of infection and severity)
- follow-up trends over time
- identify possible risk factors.
Data on cases or the absence of cases are also reported each year to the European Centre for disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
Expertise | Our role as National Reference Laboratory in diagnosis
Sciensano is recognised as the Belgian National Reference Laboratory for plague in humans and animals. Sciensano has the necessary permits to cultivate the plague bacillus under safe conditions. The staff has the necessary experience for the isolation and identification of Yersinia pestis from suspect clinical samples of human or animal origin (fluid from lymph nodes, sputum, blood, organs).