AFRICA/Tunisia – The Zooprophylactic Institute (Izs) of Abruzzo and Molise of Teramo has made its know-how and research available to three African countries, Libya, Namibia and Tunisia, in the fight against the coronavirus. 19. The institute – which in December 2020 sequenced the genome of the virus allowing it to discover variants – began a scientific cooperation with the three African countries, and hosted the first Tunisian researchers last week. “Genomic analysis is essential to map variants in real time and intercept new mutations of the virus,” confirms Izs General Manager at Teramo Nicola D’Alterio. Abruzzo is the most effective Italian region in terms of the number of sequential swabs compared to the number of positive swabs. Last month, positive COVID-19 samples sequenced in Abruzzo corresponded to 21.75% against a national average of 8.7%. In the laboratories of the Teramo Institute, 90.7% of the positive smears for coronavirus were arranged in the Abruzzo region. But it is clear that the problem is not only Italian but global: “That is why – continues Daltrio – we have started scientific cooperation with Libya, Namibia and Tunisia. Last week, we hosted the first Tunisian researchers, during the year, and in 2022 others will arrive for training in Teramo through A project funded by the World Health Organization. From 26-30 July, biologists Wasfi Fares from Institut Pasteur in Tunis and Awatef El Moussa from Charles Nicole Hospital, also Tunisia, attended laboratories in Teramo on the basis of agreements reached during the institutional visit to Tunis last May. Daltrio himself and director of health at the Giacomo Migliorati Institute. In addition, in the first week of July, the head of the National Reference Center for the Genome Sequencing of Pathogenic Microorganisms: Database Analysis and Bioinformatics, Cesar Kama, and virologist at the International Space Station in Teramo Alessio Loroso visited the main Tunisian laboratories participating in SARS- CoV. 2- Diagnostics to discuss and identify the training needs of Tunisian cadres.

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