Research activities

• Laboratory of poliomyelitis and other enteroviruses is fully accredited by World Health Organization (WHO) and has been a part of the WHO Global Polio Laboratory Network since 2002 year as Georgia’s national poliomyelitis laboratory. The laboratory annually performs professional tests and fills out special form about the work done in Laboratory to obtain the status of accreditation. Periodically an assessment is conducted by WHO experts. Laboratory provides weekly online reporting of results to WHO Regional office for Europe. 
• The main activities are to conduct laboratory investigation as part of surveillance for acute flaccid paralyses (AFP) and study environmental samples to ensure, that country retains its polio-free status.
• Laboratory investigates samples of the AFP patients and their contacts (stool, cerebrospinal fluid, and throat swabs) from Georgia and Armenia for the presence of polio and other enteroviruses.
• Conducts virological investigations of clinical material for diseases caused by enteroviruses, especially meningitis. 
• Carries out polio environmental surveillance by sewage sampling in various regions of Georgia with possible high-risk communities and laboratory investigation in order to study the circulation of polio and other enteroviruses .
• For isolation of virus strains passages have been performing in various cell lines 
• ( RD, HEp2 and L20B) . Isolated strains of enteroviruses were typed on cell cultures by microneitralization test using intersecting pool of type-specific antiserum (RIVM) recommended by WHO.
• The laboratory implemented a real –time polymerase chain reaction .The method is used in two variation, in paticular for detecting of isolated trains , as well as for intratypic differentiation between WPVs and vaccine-derived polioviruses (VDPVs).
• On WHO Polio Laboratory Network meetings annually submits research results for Georgia and Armenia.
• The staff participates in non-state funded studies – 4 ongoing projects.
• Last 10 years were published 6 papers, 8 posters presented at international conferences.