Virology Department
The Laboratory for Respiratory Viruses (LRV) was founded in the 1960's as national center for influenza (NIC/WHO). The lab underwent restructuring in 1979 led by Dr. M.S. Pereira. During the 1980's it was directed by Dr. J.P. Nascimento and since the 1990's M. M. Siqueira has been directing the laboratory.
The initial mission of LRV focused on the epidemiology of respiratory viruses and diagnostic tests for such viruses. Since the 1980's, the laboratory has been involved in training scientists from many Latin American countries, such as Argentina, Uruguay and Panama. The LVR has been one of the pioneers in Brazil in the study of influenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and measles. During the 1990's, as the PAHO aimed to eliminate the indigenous transmission of rubella and measles in the Americas, we were accredited by the MoH and WHO as national and regional reference laboratory for these viruses, respectively.
LRV currently participates in various projects involving molecular studies of respiratory and exanthematic viruses. As a National Reference Laboratory, we take an active part in various MoH and WHO committees, and we are co-authors of their manuals and guidelines. Since 2006, we have been involved in a Fondation Merieux-funded project to study severe acute respiratory infections and their etiology and to discover new respiratory viruses. In the future, our tasks might also include the study of additional viruses through the molecular surveillance of varicella zoster virus (VZV) and mumps.