title: SARS molecular detection external quality assurance.
abstract: Inactivated severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus samples were used for an external quality assurance study within the World Health Organization SARS Reference and Verification Network and other reference institutions. Of 58 participants, 51 correctly detected virus in all samples > or =9,400 RNA copies per milliliter and none in negative samples. Commercial test kits significantly improved the outcome.
authors.affiliation: Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Drosten
authors.forename: Hans Wilhelm
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Doerr
authors.forename: Wilina
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stöhr
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Niedrig
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007753:Laboratories / Q000592:standards; D011786:Quality Control; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D045473:Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral