title: External quality assessment of enterovirus detection and typing. European Union Concerted Action on Virus Meningitis and Encephalitis.
abstract: Reported are the results of a study of an enterovirus proficiency panel for use in isolation and serotyping and/or the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) carried out by 12 laboratories in nine European countries. Eleven laboratories reported results of virus isolation and serotyping. In addition, four laboratories reported results of a PCR for enterovirus detection. Correct virus isolation results were obtained for 105 of 110 samples (95.5%, four false-negatives, one false-positive), and correct PCR results for 39 of 40 (97.5%, one false-negative). The highest isolation rate (87.5%) was observed in primary and tertiary monkey kidney cells; on monkey kidney cell lines, human diploid fibroblasts or human heteroploid cells the isolation rate varied between 64% and 71.4%. Serotyping results were less satisfactory. Only 63 of 106 (59.4%) isolated viruses were typed correctly. Major problems were seen with samples containing mixtures of enteroviruses and with enterovirus 71 or echovirus 4, with 9%, 50%, and 55% correct results, respectively. These results underline the need for improvement of enterovirus typing, especially in view of the poliomyelitis eradication initiative.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Eijkman-Winkler Institute for Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Inflammation, University Hospital Utrecht, Netherlands. A.M.vanLoon@lab.azu.nl
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: van Loon
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Cleator
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ras
mesh_terms: D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D004770:Enterovirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004769:Enterovirus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005060:Europe; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012703:Serotyping / Q000379:methods