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Animal Health

Evaluation of biological contaminants

​​The INIA Animal Health Research Centre (CISA) has High Biological Safety Laboratories at Biosafety Level 3 and 3+ (BSL3 and BSL3 +). It is a facility with open access to institutes, universities, laboratories, private companies and national and international public administration that investigate animal health.

The epidemiological and health studies carried out in INIA-CISA can be included in the following:

  1. Evaluation of virucidal efficacy
  2. Evaluation of contaminants in biologicals
  3. Environmental risk assessment of veterinary drugs

The main diseases addressed in the epidemiological and health studies in INIA-CISA are diseases of economic importance in livestock, zoonotic, emerging, re-emerging and transboundary diseases. Among these diseases, we can highlight works already carried out in African Horse Fever, African Swine Fever, Bluetongue, Classic Swine Fever, Foot and Mouth Disease, Swine Vesicular Disease and zoonoses such as Rift Valley Fever, SARS, SARS-Cov-2, West Nile and other flaviviruses.

For the development of epidemiological and sanitary studies, INIA-CISA has a total area of ​​10,824 m2 in which 40 laboratories of NCB3 (WHO) and 2 laboratories of NCB4 (OIE) are located and an animal facility that has 15 Independent experimental boxes in the NCB3 containment area for large and small animals and 4 NCB4 boxes (OIE) adapted for in vivo work with diseases of importance in animal health, zoonoses and Foot-and-Mouth Disease.


​​​Characteristics


  • 40 laboratories BSL-3 (WHO) and 2 laboratories BSL-4 (OIE)
  • 15 independent experimental boxes at BSL-3 (WHO) for big and small animals and 4 boxes BSL-4 (OIE) adapted for in vivo experiments with zoonosis.
  • The independent nature of each box allows different simultaneous experiments to be carried out with conditions adapted to each type of experiment.
  • Boxes are prepared to house small and large animals, both farm and wild, adapting the space to the needs of each species according to animal welfare regulations.
  • Biosafety levels 3 (BSL3 (WHO)) and 3+ BSL (OIE)) allow the reproduction of animal diseases in vivo of importance in animal health and of a zoonotic nature.
  • INIA-CISA is the only research centre in Spain that can investigate foot-and-mouth disease in laboratories and animals.

Frequent questions

How can the work be requested to be carried out in the laboratories and high biological security animal facilities?

For open access to the network of high biosafety laboratories, the Public Access Protocol that describes the mechanism and criteria for access to the infrastructure must be followed (http://www.rlasb.es/protocolo-de-acceso/ ).

How can the request be formalized?

To formalize the request, you must have the support of a researcher working at INIA-CISA and request through secsgit@inia.es, with a copy to direccion.cisa@inia.es and delrio.lara@inia.es services from the Animal Research Centre to the General Subdirectorate for Research and Technology of the National Institute for Agricultural Research.

The email must indicate the name of the main researcher who will support the services in the INIA-CISA, the project to be carried out and the fiscal data of the company that will make the settlement effective (CIF and fiscal address).

Works can also be formalized through contracts and collaborations, in which an agreement must be reached that will be formalized in a contract.

Is a permit necessary for access to laboratories and animal facilities?

Access to the centre, laboratories and animal facilities is restricted, authorizations are granted to the different areas depending on the needs for the development of the works.

Is any type of specific training needed to work in high biosafety facilities?

Specific training in biosafety facilities is necessary, which varies depending on the biological agent with which one is going to work. The research centre has a biosafety service that teaches these courses, adapting them to the specific needs of each researcher.

​​Ask for more information

  • ​​ direccion.cisa@inia.es ; delrio.lara@inia.es 
  • 916202300 

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