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The Zakarpattya Oblast SES is now better prepared to deal with biological threats.
Under the terms of the Bio Threat Reduction Agreement
between the U.S. Dept of Defense and the Ministry of Health of Ukraine
our country has received technical assistance to better detect and respond to
disease outbreaks from especially dangerous pathogens.
In addition, we will now jointly combat bioterrorism and prevent the proliferation of dangerous bio materials.
The program acitivities will establish nine zonal diagnostic labs to detect EDPs.
Between 2008 until now, such labs have been built in Kyiv, Dnepropetrovsk, Simferopol, Lviv, and Vinnitsya.
This particular state-of-the-art zonal laboratory
was commissioned in the Zakarpattya region.
The Zakarpattya Oblast shares its border
with four European Union countries.
Therefore, several migration routes
go through our region.
We also have economic, cultural, and tourism ties
with some 70 countries.
This increases the possibility of the spread of infectious diseases.
Before this new lab, we had to use obsolete equipment
and we did not have the technical capability for modern diagnostics.
Now, thanks to this technical assistance
the Zakarpattya Sanitary Epidemiological Station can do its work
in compliance with international standards
The Zakarpattya Oblast SES's new laboratory
is housed in an annex constructed by the American side.
The new lab meets all safety standards and each room includes state-of-the art equipment.
Strict access controls are enforced. Safety zones are appropriately marked.
Each room is used for a specific function. There are rooms for the sterilization and storage of glassware,
autoclaving for decontamination of infectious materials,
and serology equipment to test blood for the presense of antigens and antibodies.
There are even locker rooms and showers for laboratory personnel.
The commissioning of this laboratory
now allows us to resolve two issues.
First, the laboratory will
increase the effectiveness of our tests.
Second, it will reduce the time it takes to conduct these tests.
Both issues are very, very important.
For example, it used to take us 72 hours to conduct confirmatory tests.
Now, we can obtain the results in as little as 2 to 3 hours.
The task of this laboratory is to safely handle pathogens,
prevent the spread of disease among people and animals.
Modern methods of testing compliment classical bacteriology and virology methods
and expedite the overall process.
Modern methods of diagnostics such as
ELISA and molecular-genetic methods
will be used for diagnostics, and
monitoring the spread of infectious diseases throughout the region
in order to conduct epedmiological surveillance
and respond in accordance with the results
of the indicators and identification.
The laboratory is staffed with qualified personnel who underwent biosecurity training
to prepare for any emergency situations.
Thus, as soon as an EDP is detected in a test sample,
the staff can take immediate measures to eliminate the threat
throughout the Zakarpattya region.