The Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie (IZSVe) is a public veterinary Institute which conducts diagnosis, control and research activities in three main areas: animal health and welfare, food safety and environmental protection. It is part of a national network that consists of nine other Italian public veterinary institutes, each of which covers a specific national geographical area. The IZSVe is also a FAO and OIE reference laboratory for avian influenza and Newcastle disease; OIE reference laboratory for viral encephalopathy and retinopathy of marine fish, salmonella and OIE collaborating centre for epidemiology, training and control of emerging avian diseases, as well diseases at the animal/human interface.

The IZSVe laboratories are highly specialised facilities which perform analyses using the most technologically advanced methods and equipment. In the field of animal health and welfare the laboratories provide basic clinical diagnostic services as well as perform specialised and advanced diagnostics using biomolecular, virological, and immunohistochemical techniques. The IZSVe also provides technical-scientific support to both national and local programmes of monitoring, treatment and eradication of animal diseases, as well as to emergency, livestock and biosafety management programmes. With regard to food products of animal origin, the activities of the IZSVe focus on the prevention of food-related risks and increasing the level of safety and quality of foodstuffs for human and animal consumption. As in the case of animal health, these activities are conducted as part of the official local and national control programmes.

IZSVe makes available its expertise for international cooperation projects and training activities in order to contribute to the prevention of transboundary animal diseases and for securing consumers' health.