Interlaboratory study to evaluate the performance of laboratories involved in West Nile virus RNA screening of blood and blood components by nucleic acid amplification testing in Italy.
BACKGROUND
An Italian interlaboratory study was run in 2010 to assess the performance of Blood Transfusion Services in detecting the genome of West Nile virus (WNV) in plasma.


METHODS
Each laboratory received a panel of samples containing four samples negative for WNV and six positive samples with a nominal viral concentration close to or below the 95% detection limit of two commercially available nucleic acid amplification tests (NAT) for WNV, the PROCLEIX® WNV kit and the Cobas® TaqScreen West Nile Virus kit.


RESULTS
Ten laboratories took part in the study. All correctly identified the positive samples with a viral concentration above the 95% detection limit. No pre- or post-analytical errors were observed.


CONCLUSIONS
The interlaboratory study run in 2010 allowed participants to assess the performance of the NAT methods applied in their seasonal routine screening of blood donations.
National Centre for Immunobiologicals Research and Evaluation, ISS, Rome, Italy. giulio.pisani@iss.it
Giulio
G
Pisani
Simonetta
S
Pupella
Francesco
F
Marino
Andrea
A
Gaggioli
Vittorio
V
Sambri
Giada
G
Rossini
Maria
M
Wirz
Giuliano
G
Grazzini
D016913:Blood Component Transfusion; D001782:Blood Donors; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques / Q000592:standards*; D046148:Donor Selection / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D021141:Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques / Q000592:standards*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D014902:West Nile virus / Q000235:genetics*
D012367:RNA, Viral