Partner introduction:

The Institute is the sole research facility with principal dedication to veterinary science in Hungary, and is a cornerstone to molecular microbiological investigations in the field. Its fundamental purpose is basic research for gaining better knowledge on pathogens (viruses, bacteria, parasites) with significance in veterinary medicine. Another principal task is to prepare the practical implementation of the results, as well as to develop effective diagnostic methods, vaccines and defensive strategies against diseases. Researchers of the institute have a significant role in higher education of agriculture and sciences, principally in postgraduate training as well as vocational training of veterinarians.

The main area of research of the virology teams in the Institute is some of the significant viral diseases of domestic animals. Analysing the immunological characteristics as well as the genomes of the viruses on the molecular level paves the way to developing new diagnostic methods and vaccines. Their studies also help in molecular epidemiological investigations, and in establishing a taxonomy which accurately reflects the phylogenetic relations of viruses. The task of the bacteriological and mycoplasmatology research teams is to investigate bacteria and Mycoplasma which have significance in both human and animal healthcare. They characterize their virulence and its genetic background, as well as the potential use of this knowledge in disease prevention and diagnostics, with special emphasis on food safety and the prevention of infections spreading from animals to humans. The purpose of the fish pathology and fish parasitology research teams is the regular investigation of fish from natural waters (the Danube, Lake Balaton and their water system) and also from fish farms. Their further tasks are the assessment of damage caused by parasites, studying the effects of pathologically significant parasites on the host, as well as experimental and molecular study of the ontogenesis, pathology and diversity of parasites belonging to Myxozoa and Coccidia.