Hungarian Reference Center for Human Prion Diseases

The Hungarian Reference Center for Human Prion Diseases is Hungary's neuropathology and referral point for suspected human prion disease. It is hosted today by the Institute of Pathology, Forensic and Insurance Medicine of Semmelweis University, Budapest, under the name Neuropathology and Prion Disease Reference Center. It performs brain autopsies and neuropathological consultation for the Hungarian prion disease surveillance programme and works closely with the neurology institute of the Medical University of Vienna. Gabor Kovacs led it from 2004 to 2019; the 2026 university form names Prof. Tibor Kovacs as head. The start year differs between sources because the 2004 date belongs to the earlier host, the National Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, and the Semmelweis centre was set up after that institute closed in 2007. Information only, not medical advice.

Key facts

  • The 2026 Semmelweis request form for suspected human prion disease sits under the Neuropathology and Prion Disease Reference Center, within the Institute of Pathology, Forensic and Insurance Medicine, Faculty of General Medicine; the institute director is Prof. Andras Kiss.
  • The same form names Prof. Tibor Kovacs, a neurologist and neuropathologist, as head of the centre.
  • The form asks the referring doctor for clinical documents and the time of brain removal, so the centre receives referred post-mortem cases.
  • After the National Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology was abolished in a 2007 health reform, its specimen collection moved to the Semmelweis Department of Forensic Medicine, where a new Neuropathology and Prion Disease Reference Center was founded with G. G. Kovacs and K. Majtenyi as consultants.
  • The centre gives neuropathological consultation and performs brain autopsies for the Hungarian Prion Disease Surveillance programme, in close cooperation with the Vienna neurology institute.
  • Gabor Kovacs is described as leader of the Hungarian (2004-2019) and Austrian (2011-2019) reference centres for human prion diseases.
  • His CV gives October 2004 as the start of his role as consultant leader, and January 2003 to August 2007 as head of neuropathology at the National Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology.
  • Earlier national arrangements: from 1994 the institute's neuropathology department was responsible for diagnosing suspected CJD, and since 2001 CJD reporting has been mandatory by Ministry of Health decree.
  • In that 2005 description, CSF 14-3-3 testing was done in Vienna or Bratislava and genetic analysis was done on blood with consent.
  • A secondary review cites sporadic CJD incidence in Hungary of 1.07 per million for 1997-2018 and suggests the genetic form is comparatively common.
  • EuroCJD is a network of nominated experts from EU/EEA countries run for ECDC from Edinburgh; the ECDC page does not list members or name Hungary.
  • The EuroCJD network held its 2015 biennial experts meeting in Budapest.

Timeline

  1. 1994Neuropathology department of the National Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology made responsible for diagnosis of suspected CJD.
  2. 2001Mandatory CJD reporting decreed by the Ministry of Health.
  3. 2004Gabor Kovacs begins as consultant leader of the Hungarian prion disease reference centre.
  4. 2007National Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology abolished; collection moves to Semmelweis and a new Neuropathology and Prion Disease Reference Center is founded.
  5. 2015EuroCJD experts meeting held in Budapest, 17-18 September.
  6. 2019Gabor Kovacs ends his leadership of the Hungarian centre; Tibor Kovacs listed as director from 2019 in a weak source.
  7. 2026Semmelweis publishes the current request form naming Tibor Kovacs as head.

People

Last checked 1 November 2026

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