HomeFaculties

parafag

Department of Paraclinical Sciences

The Department of Paraclinical Sciences researches and conducts research at a high international level on food safety and fish and animal health.

We research and teach in the fields of bacteriology, mycology, virology, parasitology, pharmacology, toxicology and nutrition related to fish and animal health and food safety.

We also assist public and private actors with our knowledge.

About the department

The department's main tasks are to provide research-based teaching to veterinary and animal care students, as well as to conduct research in microbiology (bacteriology, mycology and virology), parasitology, pharmacology, toxicology and nutrition related to fish and animal health, food safety and the environment. We also assist public and private actors with our knowledge.

The department runs a bacteriological and parasitological diagnostic service aimed at internal and external animal clinics. We have laboratories with a national reference function in selected areas within bacteriology, virology, parasitology and toxicology related to food safety and the environment.

The subject units participate in a large number of research projects and accept commissions from private and public actors.

  • Teaching

    Parafag provides research-based teaching to veterinary and veterinary nursing students. In the Veterinary Studies, we have main responsibility for the blocks General Diseases, Nutrition, Infections, Pharmacology and toxicology and Food Safety, as well as responsibility for the differentiation in aquamedicine and courses in infection control and production animal hygiene and import control. In the Veterinary Nursing Studies, we have the main responsibility for the block Infection biology and medicine.

    In addition, we participate in teaching in doctoral courses (Ph.D. subjects) offered at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.

  • Research

    Parafag conducts research at a high international level in fish and animal health, food safety and the environment.

    Our professional fields are central to the One Health aspect, which expresses that human health, animal health and the environment around us are affected and depend on each other. We do this through whole-chain thinking in food production and by linking challenges faced by animals, humans and the environment.

    We convey expertise and research results to both the public and the professional community, and assist public and private actors with our knowledge.

    • What infections make farmed salmon sick, and how can they be fed to stay healthy?
    • How should we use medicines to treat animals in an optimal way?
    • How can we prevent disease through the food and water we consume?
    • What happens when additives are released into the environment and what significance does this have for animal and human health?

    These are some of the issues we work on at Parafag. More information about specific research projects and issues we work on can be found under each subject group.

  • Administrative support

    The Department of Paraclinical Sciences (PARAFAG) provides research-based administrative support to the Norwegian Food Safety Authority within the NMBU VFaculrt of Veterinary Medicine's areas of responsibility, including animals, fish and foodstuffs including drinking water.

    The areas of responsibility include::

    • emergency function
    • reference function
    • professional advice and risk assessment
    • diagnostics and method development
    • monitoring and knowledge acquisition
    • reporting

    The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine provides the Norwegian Food Safety Authority with assistance in assessing risk factors, and gives professional advice on how risks should be handled.

    We support the Norwegian Food Safety Authority with knowledge of microbiological agents and toxic substances, and epidemiological conditions surrounding them.
    This applies to the following areas:

    • Food bacteriology and virology
    • Food-borne parasites
    • Drinking water
    • Marine algal toxins
    • Medicine residues
    • Polluting substances
    • Diseases of bees
    • Serious infectious animal disease and infection control
    • Measures in production hygiene (HACCP)
    • Epidemiological and statistical expertise to design surveillance and mapping programs
    • Risk analysis, with particular emphasis on risk assessments

    The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine participates in national and international meetings together with or on behalf of the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, including in scientific committees.

    Reference functions

    Various laboratories at the Department of Paraclinical Sciences have a reference function for the Norwegian Food Safety Authority for bacteria, viruses, parasites, drug residues, algal toxins and parasitic diseases.

    Reference functions based on international regulations (EEA):

    • Prohibited substances: Chloramphenicol, nitrofurans, nitroimidazoles
    • Medicines: Anti-infectives
    • Control of bacterial and virological contamination of bivalve molluscs
    • Algal toxins in bivalve molluscs


    National reference functions based on national regulations:

    • Bacterial counts and indicator bacteria in drinking water
    • Norovirus in drinking water
    • Cryptosporidium in drinking water
    • Giardia Giardia in drinking water

    Other national reference functions

    Bakteria

    • Clostridium perfringens
    • Bacillus cereus
    • Aeromonas spp.
    • Clostridium botulinum and associated toxins
    • Vibrio spp.

    Viruses

    • Norovirus

    Parasites      

    • Giardia
    • Cryptosporidium
    • Cyclospora
    • Sarcocystis
  • Units

    The Department of Paraclinical Sciences s is organized into eight subject groups. These are virology, bacteriology and mycology, parasitology, pharmacology, toxicology, food safety, aquatic medicine and nutrition and health.

    The division of units is based on the teaching subjects in our study portfolio. 

  • Management and employees at Parafag
  • Administrative Services

    The Department of Paraclinical Sciences provides research-based administrative support to the Norwegian Food Safety Authority within the NMBU Veterinærhøgskolen's areas of responsibility, including animals, fish and foodstuffs including drinking water.

    • Emergency function
    • Referance functions
    • Professional advice and risk assessment
    • Diagnostics and method development
    • Monitoring and knowledge acquisition
    • Reporting

    The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine provides the Norwegian Food Safety Authority with assistance in assessing risk factors, and gives professional advice on how risks should be handled.

    The faculty supports the Norwegian Food Safety Authority with knowledge of microbiological agents and toxic substances, and epidemiological conditions surrounding these. This applies to the following areas:

    • Food Bacteriology and Virolgy
    • Food-born parasites
    • Drinking water
    • Marine algal toxins
    • Medicine residues
    • Polluting substances
    • Siseases of bees
    • Serious infectious animal disease and infection control
    • Measures in production hygine (HACCP)
    • Epidemiological and statistical expertise to design surveillance and mapping programs
    • Risik analysis, with particular emphasis on risk assessments

    The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine participates in national and international meetings together with or on behalf of the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, including in scientific committees.

  • Referance functions

    Various laboratories at the Department of Paraclinical Sciences have a reference function for the Norwegian Food Safety Authority for bacteria (MatMikroLab), viruses, parasites, drug residues, algal toxins and parasitic diseases.

    Reference functions based on international regulations (EEA):

    • Illegal substances: Chloramphenicol, nitrofurans, nitroimidazoles
    • Medicines: Anti-infectives
    • Control of bacterial and virological contamination of bivalve molluscs
    • Algal toxins in bivalve molluscs


    National reference functions based on national regulations:

    • Bacterial counts and indicator bacteria in drinking water
    • Norovirus in drinking water
    • Cryptosporidium in drinking water
    • Giardia in drinking water

    Other national reference functions

    Bakteria:

    • Clostridium perfringens
    • Bacillus cereus
    • Aeromonas spp.
    • Clostridium botulinum and associated toxin
    • Vibrio spp.

    Virus:

    • Norovirus

    Parasites:

    • Giardia
    • Cryptosporidium
    • Cyclospora
    • Sarcocystis