Vircell and the European Project HERACLES

Vircell is involved in a new European project on the diagnosis of hydatid disease in humans with prestigious national and international hospitals and research centers.

This project, called HERACLES by its acronym in English (Human Research cystic Echinococcosis in Central and Eastern Societies), is designed to investigate the interaction between host and parasite, showing their epidemiology and improving the diagnosis, clinical treatment and disease monitoring.

Among its objectives, it is the development of a recombinant antigen of Echinococcus granulosus and its subsequent application to a rapid test.The hydatid disease is highly endemic in some southern and eastern countries in Europe as Spain, Italy, Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey, where still represents a major health and economic problem.

The project HERACLES is included in the section on neglected infectious diseases in Central and Eastern Europe, within the FP7-Health (FP7-HEALTH).

You can get more information at: www.iss.it/crlp/