Services - diagnostics and production at Keldur
Applied veterinary research, animal health control, diagnostic services and expert advice on animal diseases are in collaboration with the Chief Veterinary Officer and the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority.
Services provided comprise a wide range of testing, screening, diagnostics and development of new methodology. Services also involve control of animal welfare and slaughter, autopsy and advanced pathological examination.
The research part of the Institute is divided into three divisions: Division of Fish Diseases, Division of Virology and Molecular Biology, and the Division of Bacteriology, Parasitology and Pathology. All divisions of the Institute provide diagnostic services.
A comprehensive list of diagnostic services provided, products and prices can be accessed here.
Facilities and expertise
The institute acts as a National reference laboratory on the following:
- Campylobacter. Contact person: Vala Friðriksdóttir.
- Parasites, specifically Trichinella spp., Echinococcus spp. and Anisakis. Contact person: Guðný Rut Pálsdóttir.
- Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. Contact person: Stefanía Þorgeirsdóttir.
- Fish diseases. Contact person: Árni Kristmundsson.
- Mollusc diseases. Contact person: Árni Kristmundsson.
- Crustacean diseases. Contact person: Árni Kristmundsson.
- Antimicrobial resistance. Contact person: Þórunn Rafnar Þorsteinsdóttir.
A biosafety level 3 laboratory was built and taken into use at Keldur in 2007. It is the only facility of its kind in Iceland. Its purpose is to facilitate handling of dangerous zoonotic infectious agents such as anthrax, rabies, and avian influenza.
Contact person: Vilhjálmur Svansson.
The diagnostic services at Keldur are conducted in accordance to quality standard ISO17025. Ten research protocols are accredited by SWEDAC (Swedish Board for Accreditation and Conformity Assessment). The quality control manager is Kristín Matthíasdóttir.
Accredited methods:
- TSE screening – TeSeE ELISA
- TSE screening – Hybrid Western blot
- Campylobacter spp. detection
- Salmonella spp. detection
- Trichinella spp. detection
- Detection of the following fish viruses by cell culture methods:
- Infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus
- Viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus
- Infectious Pancreatic Necrosis Virus
- Detection of the following fish viruses by RT-qPCR:
- Infectious Salmon Anemia virus
- Salmonid Alpha Virus
- Infectious Pancreatic Necrosis Virus
- Piscine Myocarditis Virus
The Institute has horses and sheep on site to provide blood for the production of specialized media as well as the production of antibody serum.
The Institute provides services for scientists in the planning and execution of animal experiments.
Contact persons regarding animal husbandry are the veterinarians: Charlotta Oddsdóttir and Vilhjálmur Svansson.
The Institute collaborates with the company ArcticLAS according to a contract. The contact person for ArcticLAS is Katrín Ástráðsdóttir.
The Institute produces and sells:
- Vaccine against infections by Clostridium spp., Pasteurella spp., Mannheimia spp., and Bibersteinia spp. in sheep.
- Antiserum against Clostridium perfringens infection in lambs.
The Institute also provides domestic laboratories with horse and sheep blood which is used for production of specialized media for microbial culturing.
The Fish Disease Laboratory at Keldur offers a wide variety of diagnostic services for customers. A detailed overview of these services can be viewed here.