@article{fdi:010077429,
  title = {{T}oscana, {W}est {N}ile, {U}sutu and tick-borne encephalitis viruses : external quality assessment for molecular detection of emerging neurotropic viruses in {E}urope, 2017},
  author = {{R}eusken, {C}. and {B}aronti, {C}{\'e}cile and {M}ogling, {R}. and {P}apa, {A}. and {L}eitmeyer, {K}. and {C}harrel, {R}. {N}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{B}ackground: {N}eurotropic arboviruses are increasingly recognised as causative agents of neurological disease in {E}urope but underdiagnosis is still suspected. {C}apability for accurate diagnosis is a prerequisite for adequate clinical and public health response. {A}im: {T}o improve diagnostic capability in {EVD}-{L}ab{N}et laboratories, we organised an external quality assessment ({EQA}) focusing on molecular detection of {T}oscana ({TOSV}), {U}sutu ({USUV}), {W}est {N}ile ({WNV}) and tick-borne encephalitis viruses ({TBEV}). {M}ethods: {S}ixty-nine laboratories were invited. {T}he {EQA} panel included two {WNV} {RNA}- positive samples (lineages 1 and 2), two {TOSV} {RNA}- positive samples (lineages {A} and {B}), one {TBEV} {RNA}- positive sample ({W}estern subtype), one {USUV} {RNA}- positive sample and four negative samples. {T}he {EQA} focused on overall capability rather than sensitivity of the used techniques. {O}nly detection of one, clinically relevant, concentration per virus species and lineage was assessed. {R}esults: {T}he final {EQA} analysis included 51 laboratories from 35 countries; 44 of these laboratories were from 28 of 31 countries in the {E}uropean {U}nion/{E}uropean {E}conomic {A}rea ({EU}/{EEA}). {USUV} diagnostic capability was lowest (28 laboratories in 18 countries), {WNV} detection capacity was highest (48 laboratories in 32 countries). {T}wenty-five laboratories were able to test the whole {EQA} panel, of which only 11 provided completely correct results. {T}he highest scores were observed for {WNV} and {TOSV} (92%), followed by {TBEV} (86%) and {USUV} (75%). {C}onclusion: {W}e observed wide variety in extraction methods and {RT}- {PCR} tests, showing a profound absence of standardisation across {E}uropean laboratories. {O}verall, the results were not satisfactory; capacity and capability need to be improved in 40 laboratories.},
  keywords = {{EUROPE}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{E}urosurveillance},
  volume = {24},
  numero = {50},
  pages = {18--31},
  ISSN = {1560-7917},
  year = {2019},
  DOI = {10.2807/1560-7917.es.2019.24.50.1900051},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010077429},
}