Need for additional capacity and improved capability for molecular detection of yellow fever virus in European Expert Laboratories: External Quality Assessment, March 2018

Euro Surveill. 2018 Jul;23(28):1800341. doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2018.23.28.1800341.

Abstract

An external quality assessment of yellow fever virus (YFV) molecular detection in European laboratories was organised in rapid response to an increase in human cases in Brazil in 2018 with risk of import to Europe. Detection of YFV was assessed among 32 laboratories in 23/31 European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA) countries and two laboratories in one non-EU/EEA country. Adequate capabilities were lacking in 10/23 countries; five did not participate as they lacked implemented assays.

Keywords: emerging or re-emerging diseases; imported viral diseases; laboratory surveillance; vector-borne infections; yellow fever virus.

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Laboratories / standards*
  • Molecular Diagnostic Techniques / methods
  • Molecular Diagnostic Techniques / standards*
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Population Surveillance / methods
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / standards*
  • Serologic Tests / methods
  • Serologic Tests / standards*
  • Yellow Fever / diagnosis*
  • Yellow Fever / immunology
  • Yellow Fever / virology
  • Yellow fever virus / genetics*
  • Yellow fever virus / immunology
  • Yellow fever virus / isolation & purification*