Performance of Eastern Mediterranean Region laboratories in the World Health Organization external quality assessment programme for arbovirus diagnostics.

Background: Arboviruses such as dengue virus, yellow fever virus, Zika virus and chikungunya virus are major threats to human health globally, including countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR).

Aims: This study aimed to assess laboratory proficiency in EMR countries for detection of dengue virus, yellow fever virus, Zika virus and chikungunya virus.

Methods: A global external quality assessment programme for arbovirus diagnostics was developed and run in 2016 and 2018.

External Quality Assessment of Bacterial Identification and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing in African National Public Health Laboratories, 2011-2016.

Background In 2002, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched a regional microbiology external quality assessment (EQA) programme for national public health laboratories in the African region, initially targeting priority epidemic-prone bacterial diseases, and later including other common bacterial pathogens. Objectives The aim of this study was to analyse the efficacy of an EQA programme as a laboratory quality system evaluation tool. Methods We analysed the proficiency of laboratories' performance of bacterial identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) for the period 2011-2016.

Comparison of Serologic Assays for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus.

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) was detected in humans in 2012. Since then, sporadic outbreaks with primary transmission through dromedary camels to humans and outbreaks in healthcare settings have shown that MERS-CoV continues to pose a threat to human health. Several serologic assays for MERS-CoV have been developed globally.

An updated roadmap for MERS-CoV research and product development: focus on diagnostics.

Diagnostics play a central role in the early detection and control of outbreaks and can enable a more nuanced understanding of the disease kinetics and risk factors for the Middle East respiratory syndrome-coronavirus (MERS-CoV), one of the high-priority pathogens identified by the WHO. In this review we identified sources for molecular and serological diagnostic tests used in MERS-CoV detection, case management and outbreak investigations, as well as surveillance for humans and animals (camels), and summarised the performance of currently available tests, diagnostic needs, and associated challenges for diagnostic test development and implementation. A more detailed understanding of the kinetics of infection of MERS-CoV is needed in order to optimise the use of existing assays.

Proficiency testing for the detection of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus demonstrates global capacity to detect Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus.

The first reported case of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) infection was identified in Saudi Arabia in September 2012, since which time there have been over 2000 laboratory-confirmed cases, including 750 deaths in 27 countries. Nucleic acid testing (NAT) is the preferred method for the detection of MERS-CoV. A single round of a Proficiency Testing Program (PTP) was used to assess the capability of laboratories globally to accurately detect the presence of MERS-CoV using NAT.

External quality assessment for arbovirus diagnostics in the World Health Organization Western Pacific Region, 2013-2016: improving laboratory quality over the years.

Arboviruses continue to pose serious public health threats in the World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific Region. As such, laboratories need to be equipped for their accurate detection. In 2011, to ensure test proficiency, the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific piloted an external quality assessment (EQA) programme for arbovirus diagnostics.