title: First External Quality Assessment of Molecular and Serological Detection of Rift Valley Fever in the Western Mediterranean Region.
abstract: Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a mosquito-borne viral zoonosis which affects humans and a wide range of domestic and wild ruminants. The large spread of RVF in Africa and its potential to emerge beyond its geographic range requires the development of surveillance strategies to promptly detect the disease outbreaks in order to implement efficient control measures, which could prevent the widespread of the virus to humans. The Animal Health Mediterranean Network (REMESA) linking some Northern African countries as Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia with Southern European ones as France, Italy, Portugal and Spain aims at improving the animal health in the Western Mediterranean Region since 2009. In this context, a first assessment of the diagnostic capacities of the laboratories involved in the RVF surveillance was performed. The first proficiency testing (external quality assessment--EQA) for the detection of the viral genome and antibodies of RVF virus (RVFV) was carried out from October 2013 to February 2014. Ten laboratories participated from 6 different countries (4 from North Africa and 2 from Europe). Six laboratories participated in the ring trial for both viral RNA and antibodies detection methods, while four laboratories participated exclusively in the antibodies detection ring trial. For the EQA targeting the viral RNA detection methods 5 out of 6 laboratories reported 100% of correct results. One laboratory misidentified 2 positive samples as negative and 3 positive samples as doubtful indicating a need for corrective actions. For the EQA targeting IgG and IgM antibodies methods 9 out of the 10 laboratories reported 100% of correct results, whilst one laboratory reported all correct results except one false-positive. These two ring trials provide evidence that most of the participating laboratories are capable to detect RVF antibodies and viral RNA thus recognizing RVF infection in affected ruminants with the diagnostic methods currently available.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise "G. Caporale", Teramo, Italy.
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Monaco
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise "G. Caporale", Teramo, Italy.
authors.forename: Gian Mario
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Cosseddu
authors.affiliation: Centre National d'Elevage et de Recherches Vétérinaires, Nouakchott, Mauritania.
authors.forename: Baba
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Doumbia
authors.affiliation: Institut National de la Médecine Vétérinaire, Laboratoire Central Vétérinaire d'Alger, Alger, Algeria.
authors.forename: Hafsa
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Madani
authors.affiliation: Office national de sécurité sanitaire des produits alimentaires (ONSSA), Laboratoire Régional d'Analyses et de Recherches de Casablanca, Casablanca, Morocco.
authors.forename: Fatiha
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: El Mellouli
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA-INIA), Valdeolmos, (Madrid), Spain.
authors.forename: Miguel Angel
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Jiménez-Clavero
authors.affiliation: Institut de Recherche Vétérinaire de Tunisie, Université Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Soufien
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sghaier
authors.affiliation: Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l'alimentation, de l'environnement et du travail (ANSES), Lyon, France.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Marianneau
authors.affiliation: Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), UMR CMAEE, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), UMR 1309, F-34398 Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cetre-Sossah
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise "G. Caporale", Teramo, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Polci
authors.affiliation: Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l'alimentation, de l'environnement et du travail (ANSES), Lyon, France.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lacote
authors.affiliation: Institut National de la Médecine Vétérinaire, Laboratoire Vétérinaire Régional de Laghouat, Laghouat, Algeria.
authors.forename: Magtouf
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lakhdar
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA-INIA), Valdeolmos, (Madrid), Spain.
authors.forename: Jovita
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fernandez-Pinero
authors.affiliation: Institut National de la Médecine Vétérinaire, Laboratoire Vétérinaire Régional de Tlemcen, Tlemcen, Algeria.
authors.forename: Chabane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sari Nassim
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise "G. Caporale", Teramo, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pinoni
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise "G. Caporale", Teramo, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Capobianco Dondona
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA-INIA), Valdeolmos, (Madrid), Spain.
authors.forename: Carmina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gallardo
authors.affiliation: Office national de sécurité sanitaire des produits alimentaires (ONSSA), Laboratoire Régional d'Analyses et de Recherches d'Agadir, Agadir, Morocco.
authors.forename: Taoufiq
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bouzid
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise "G. Caporale", Teramo, Italy.
authors.forename: Annamaria
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Conte
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise "G. Caporale", Teramo, Italy.
authors.forename: Grazia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bortone
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise "G. Caporale", Teramo, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Savini
authors.affiliation: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise "G. Caporale", Teramo, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Petrini
authors.affiliation: Ministère des Affaires étrangères et du Développement international, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Lilian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Puech
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D006801:Humans; D059021:Laboratory Proficiency Testing / Q000379:methods; D019083:Mediterranean Region / Q000453:epidemiology; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012295:Rift Valley Fever / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D012296:Rift Valley fever virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012418:Ruminants / Q000097:blood / Q000821:virology*; D012698:Serologic Tests / Q000379:methods; D014709:Vero Cells
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral