External Quality Assessment

The Animal Virology working group has organized two External Quality Assessments (EQA) with the aim to assess the ability of the trained laboratories of the network to detect:

• EQA 1: West Nile virus (WNV) antibodies and genetic material in infected animals' samples by ELISA and by PCR techniques 

• EQA 2: Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) antibodies and genetic material in infected animals' samples by ELISA and by PCR techniques.

Shipments of the panels and reagents were done in October 2016 and included:

4 panels

• Panel A – 10 non-infectious inactivated sera for WNV serological evaluation (-20ºC) 
• Panel B – 10 non-infectious inactivated samples for WNV genome detection (lyophilized) 
• Panel C – 10 non-infectious inactivated sera for RVFV serological evaluation (-20ºC) 
• Panel D – 10 non-infectious inactivated samples for RVFV genome detection (lyophilized) 

Controls

• 1 positive PCR control (RNA) for WNV 
• 1 positive PCR control (RNA) for RVFV
• 1 positive extraction control for WNV (non-infectious inactivated) 
• 1 positive extraction control for RVFV (non-infectious inactivated)

Kits & reagents

• RNA extraction commercial kit 
• Reagents, primers and TaqMan probes needed for PCR detection of WNV and RVFV 
• Commercial ELISA kits for detection of WNV and RVFV antibodies.

As a follow-up of the Arbovirus diagnostics workshop organised in Paris for the human virology network in June 2015, two EQA studies were organised with the German company INSTAND in 2016 which included:

• One panel with 6 non-infectious inactivated and lyophilized samples for West Nile virus genome detection

• One panel with 4 non-infectious inactivated and lyophilized samples for Chikungunya genome detection

In November 2016, a proficiency test panel organised by WHO and RCPAQAP (Australian company) for the molecular detection of Zika, Chikungunya, dengue and yellow fever virus (last is optional) has also been promoted within the human virology network and most of the laboratories have agreed to participate.

The test results of these EQAs have been restituted and the result analysis will soon be communicated.

Finally, the animal virology coordination team (INIA-CISA) prepared the panels of the EQA for RVFV genome detection for the human virology network. The panels have already been shipped to the participant labs

The first round of EQAs for identification of mosquitoes has started in November 2016. 

During the MediLabsecure regional meeting organized in Belgrade, participants from the entomology laboratories of the 11 countries present at the meeting were handed a set of mosquitoes (adults and larvae) to identify at both genus and species levels.

The second round of EQAs has started in July 2017. The representatives from 8 entomology laboratories present at the second regional meeting of the project, held in Tunis were handed their respective set of mosquitoes (adults and larvae) to identify at both genus and species levels.

The results of this secound round of EQAs have been restituted and are available here: