NRL of Herpes and oncogenic viruses

Head of the laboratory

Petar Velikov, MD, PhD

1233 Sofia, Bulgaria, 44A Gen. stoletov blvd.

email:
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Tel.: +359 2 931 38 18

Laboratory Staff:

  • Mariela Hristova-Savova, Biologist

  • Gabriela Stoyneva, biologist

  • Ekaterina Mihaylova, Senior medical laboratory technician

 

The National Reference Laboratory (NRL) for "Herpesviruses and Oncogenic Viruses" is located within the Department of Virology at 44A General Stoletov Blvd., 1st floor, Room 16, Sofia, Bulgaria.

Working hours: Monday to Friday, 7:30 AM - 2:30 PM, excluding public holidays.

Collection and acceptance of biological samples for testing take place every working day from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM.

Payment for tests not covered by contractual agreements can be made at the cashier's office of the Department of Virology until 12:00 PM, or at the cashier's office of the National Center of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases (NCIPD), located at 26 Yanko Sakazov Blvd., until 3:00 PM.

Patient consultations are conducted by Dr. Velikov every working day from 8:00 AM to 14:00 PM, by prior appointment only. Appointments can be arranged by calling +359 2 931 38 18.

Test results may be collected in person by the patient or by a duly authorized representative, in accordance with Article 28b, Paragraph 1 of the Health Act and Article 14, Paragraph 5, Item 1 of Ordinance No. H-6 of December 21, 2022.

 

Diagnostic activity

Laboratory StaffThe laboratory actively participates in clarifying the role of human herpesviruses in the pathogenesis of neurological diseases in Bulgaria by applying modern molecular-genetic methods to detect herpesviruses in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in patients with various neurological disorders, which is essential for establishing an accurate diagnosis.
The laboratory examines various types of clinical specimens (serum, whole blood, buccal mucosa, urethral and vaginal swabs, urine, cerebrospinal fluid) for the presence of Herpes simplex virus type 1 and type 2 (HSV-1/2), Varicella-Zoster virus (VZV), Cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), and Human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8).Diagnostic tests are performed using highly sensitive and highly specific ELISA and PCR methods, which allow detection of the corresponding antibodies and viral DNA.

In addition, the laboratory applies molecular diagnostic approaches for the specific identification of up to 21 high-risk types of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) in order to determine the molecular-epidemiological spectrum of this infection in the Bulgarian population. These investigations enable early diagnosis of HPV infection and stratification of the risk for development of cervical cancer, as well as other HPV-associated malignancies.


Consultative activity

The laboratory provides on-site consultations with an infectious disease physician regarding diseases caused by the studied viral spectrum. The consultation includes recommendations for additional tests (if needed), explanations, and interpretation of test results.

Participation in interlaboratory and international controls

The NRL “Herpes and Oncogenic Viruses” at the National Center of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases (NCIPD) conducts an annual national inter-laboratory quality control for laboratories in the Republic of Bulgaria that perform testing for herpesvirus markers.

The laboratory also participates annually in international external quality assessment schemes, organized and conducted by INSTAND Homepage - Germany. For the successful performance it receives certificates.

Training

The NRL “Herpes and Oncogenic Viruses” conducts annual training of students, biologists, physicians, and laboratory specialists as part of postgraduate education and the training programs for the medical specialties Microbiology, Virology, Epidemiology, and others, in the form of thematic courses, incl. “Modern etiological diagnosis and etiotropic therapy of herpesvirus infections” and “Modern methods for diagnosis and prevention of HPV infections”.

Pricelist

of the paid services provided by NCIPD, based on the Decree of the Council of Ministers No. 255 / 17.10.2012, promulgated in the State Gazette No. 81 / 23.10.2012 and Order No. 452 of 26.10.2012 of the Director of the NCIPD:

CodeLaboratory testsPrice in EURCompletion Time
103 Venipuncture and blood sampling 3,07 5 business days
311 Qualitative ELISA test for anti-HSV1/2 antibodies 8,69 5 business days
312 Qualitative ELISA test for anti-HZV antibodies 8,69 5 business days
313 Qualitative ELISA test for anti-EBV antibodies 8,69 5 business days
314 Qualitative ELISA test for anti-CMV antibodies 8,69 5 business days
237 Detection of microorganism nucleic acid by polymerase chain reaction 20,96 5 business days
326 PCR detection of papillomavirus infection (HPV) 41,41 5 business days
260 Qualitative determination of antibodies by ELISA for HSV/2 8,18 5 business days
ELISA assays for HSV-1, HSV-2, VZV, EBV, and CMV are conducted as separate markers (IgM and/or IgG). IgG avidity testing is additionally available for VZV, EBV, and CMV. Each marker is ordered and billed separately

Publications of laboratory members (2025):

  1. Krumova, S.; Trifonova, I.; Hristova-Savova, M.; Veleva, L.; Stefanova, R.; Genova-Kalou, P.; Chaveeva, P.; Kalev, V.; Tilkova, T.; Vassilev, T.; et al. Congenital Viral Infection Risk: The Role of Parvovirus B19 and Cytomegalovirus Molecular Genetic Testing. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27, 427. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27010427
  2. Trifonova I, Korsun N, Levterova V, Pavlova D, Simeonovski I, Ivanova M, Velikov P, Voleva S, Ivanov I, Ivanov D, Dakov T, Tcherveniakova T, Angelova S, Christova I. Respiratory infections in the post-COVID-19 era: impact, prevalence, and clinical characteristics of bacterial and viral co-infections. Front Med (Lausanne). 2025 Oct 23;12:1597782. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2025.1597782. PMID: 41210881; PMCID: PMC12589918. IF 3.0, SJR (2024) 0.962, Q1.
  3. Karakonstantis S, Lytras T, Keske S, Tsiodras S, Papst L, Ioannou P, Velikov P, Berg LP, De Angelis G, Prendki V, Adlhoch C, Penttinen P, Rello J, Gavazzi G, Malhotra-Kumar S, Skevaki C, Slafkosky M, Rath B. The Care Continuum of Patients With Influenza in the Post-COVID-19 Era: A Position Paper. J Infect Dis. 2025 Oct 17;232(Supplement_3):S333-S346. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiaf333. PMID: 41102611. IF 4.5, SJR (2024) 2.038, Q1.
  4. Săndulescu O, Dudman SG, Gmizic I, Garcia F, Harvala H, Hasanoglu I, Janjua NZ, Kowalska J, Mallet V, Maticic M, Mondelli MU, Op de Coul ELM, Perumalswami PV, Özkaya Şahin G, Said Z, Sánchez-Avila JF, Velikov P, Weis N, Zidovec-Lepej S, Torres HA; Study Group for Viral Hepatitis of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESGVH) and the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) Hepatitis C Special Interest Group. Global hepatitis C elimination: Updates, challenges, and opportunities from real-world experiences in Europe and North America. Hepatology. 2025 Sep 26. doi: 10.1097/HEP.0000000000001548. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41003584. IF 16.8, SJR (2024) 5.557, Q1.
  5. Velikov PK, Tomova-Angelova I, Ezekwe CL, Ichikawa M, Hori A. Measles containing vaccine hesitancy and readiness in the post-COVID-19 era: A 7C model commentary. Glob Health Med. 2025 Oct 31;7(5):391-394. doi: 10.35772/ghm.2025.01056. PMID: 41164435; PMCID: PMC12560032. IF 1.4, Q3.
  6. Chemais M, MacDonald N, Dubé E, Søborg B, Cevik M, Harboe ZB, Velikov P; European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Vaccines Study Group. How can health care professionals address vaccine hesitancy in practice? Clin Microbiol Infect. 2025 Aug 13:S1198-743X(25)00393-3. doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2025.08.002. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40816467. IF 8.5, SJR (2024) 2.742, Q1.
  7. Rodriguez-Morales AJ, Alhazmi AH, Katime A, Velikov P, et al.; SLAMVI, ESGITM, EVASG, ALEIMC, GEPI-SEIMC, SEMEVI, and CMTZMV-ACIN. Yellow fever in South America - A plea for action and call for prevention also in travelers from SLAMVI, ESGITM, EVASG, ALEIMC, GEPI-SEIMC, SEMEVI, and CMTZMV-ACIN. Travel Med Infect Dis. 2025 Sep-Oct;67:102871. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmaid.2025.102871. Epub 2025 Jun 27. PMID: 40582475. IF 4.7, SJR (2024) 0.955, Q1.
  8. Korsun, N.; Trifonova, I.; Pavlova, D.; Uzunova, Y.; Ivanov, I.; Ivanov, D.; Velikov, P.; Voleva, S.; Tcherveniakova, T.; Christova, I. Etiological Spectrum of Acute Respiratory Infections in Bulgaria During the 2023–2024 Season and Genetic Diversity of Circulating Influenza Viruses. Viruses 2025, 17, 270. https://doi.org/10.3390/v17020270 IF 3.5 SJR (2024) 1.145, Q1.
  9. Trifonova I, Pavlova D, Korsun N, Velikov P, Ivanov I, Ivanov D, Valkov T, Christova I. Etiology, clinical manifestations, and age characteristics of mixed viral respiratory infections within 2024-2025. Problems of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, 2025 (приета за печат, in press). Q4 (Scimago 2024)
  10. Петър Великов, Имунитет и ваксинация срещу SARS-CoV-2 при децата: Къде сме през 2025 г.?, Медицински преглед. 2025 септ; ISSN 1312-2193, LXI(5):12-19. Достъпно от: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/395397024_Immunity_and_Vaccination_against_SARS-CoV-2_in_Children_Where_are_we_in_2025_In_Bulgarian_Imunitet_i_vaksinacia_sresu_SARS-CoV-2_pri_decata_Kde_sme_prez_2025_g