Microbiology

The Microbiology Unit 

• serves as a national specialist unit on bacterial and viral infections, antimicrobial resistance and microbiological water analysis, produces surveillance data and participates in outbreak investigations, also in international cooperation 
• is responsible for national standardisation work related to microbiological water analysis 
• reports on bathing and drinking water quality to the EU 
• provides specialist assistance in managing water-borne outbreaks and water quality problems 
• maintains preparedness to diagnose and control severe bacterial and viral diseases that are emerging or rare 
• works as the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio (World Health Organisation, WHO), a National Influenza Centre (WHO) and a Measles and Rubella laboratory 
• develops immunological assessment of vaccination coverage for different population groups. 

Focus areas of the unit’s activities include 

• antimicrobial resistance 
• severe bacterial infections 
• food and water-borne infections 
• mycobacteria
• respiratory tract and intestinal viruses
• measles, mumps and rubella
• serving as a support laboratory for HIV and hepatitis C
• legionella and campylobacter (demanding specialist analytics)
• noroviruses and adenoviruses (demanding specialist analytics)
• assessment of immune protection against diseases that can be prevented by vaccination.

Unit teams 

• Bacteriology
• Immunology
• Virology
• Water Microbiology

Contact details

Carita Savolainen-Kopra 
Head of Unit 
tel. +358 29 524 8884 
E-mail: [email protected] 

Postal address 
Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) 
Microbiology Unit
P.O. Box 30
FI-00271 Helsinki, Finland

Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL)
Microbiology Unit
P.O. Box 95
FI-70701 Kuopio, Finland