Over the last decade, approximately 75% of the new diseases in humans were caused by pathogens from animals or animal products. Moreover, globalisation has led to an extensive and rapid movement of person and distribution of animals and animal products contributing to the spread of pathogens. This highlights the importance of investigating the role of the animal reservoir in maintaining and spreading such pathogens.
A Veterinary biobank enables the storage of samples useful for cross-species disease surveillance, to investigate cross-species disease transmission through comparative medicine and environmental research. The aim of the IZSVe Biobank is to gather information from diagnostic activity of Reference laboratories. This allows to the collection of relevant samples from the animal reservoir in a longitudinal manner.
The availability of samples correctly stored, identified and traced lead to an intensive research activity and resulted in analysis, publishing and dissemination of important epizoological data to the international scientific community on zoonotic viruses such as avian influenza.
Therefore the IZSVe Biobank stores samples for sharing Knowledge. In this view the IZSVe veterinary biobank as others may be considered as a global public health good.

IZSVe biobank samples
The Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie (IZSVe) biobank has the aim to centrally store biological samples collected through the years by the national and international reference laboratories, e.g. the OIE / FAO reference centre for Avian influenza and Newcastle disease and the FAO reference centre for Rabies.
The IZSVe Veterinary Biobank stores biological material of high quality standards and scientific value collected during animal disease surveillance programs and outbreaks. Each sample is univocally identified, traced and maintained.

Key persons

• Dr. Maria Serena Beato
  Member of the General Assembly of MIRRI-IT.
• Dr. Paola De Benedictis
  Member of the Scientific Committee of MIRRI-IT.