title: Multicenter external quality assessment program for PCR detection of Mycobacterium ulcerans in clinical and environmental specimens.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mycobacterium ulcerans is the causative agent of Buruli ulcer (BU), a necrotizing disease of the skin, soft tissue and bone. PCR is increasingly used in the diagnosis of BU and in research on the mode of transmission and environmental reservoir of M. ulcerans.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of laboratories in detecting M. ulcerans using molecular tests in clinical and environmental samples by implementing sequential multicenter external quality assessment (EQA) programs. The second round of the clinical EQA program revealed somewhat improved performance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ongoing EQA programs remain essential and continued participation in future EQA programs by laboratories involved in the molecular testing of clinical and environmental samples for M. ulcerans for diagnostic and research purposes is strongly encouraged. Broad participation in such EQA programs also benefits the harmonization of quality in the BU research community and enhances the credibility of advances made in solving the transmission enigma of M. ulcerans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eddyani
authors.affiliation: Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lavender
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Willem Bram
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: de Rijk
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Pieter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bomans
authors.affiliation: Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fyfe
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Bouke
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: de Jong
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Françoise
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Portaels
mesh_terms: D054312:Buruli Ulcer / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004777:Environment; D006801:Humans; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques / Q000592:standards*; D019911:Mycobacterium ulcerans / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000592:standards*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care