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.

Lyophilized Matrix Containing Ready-to-Use Primers and Probe Solution for Standardization of Real-Time PCR and RT-qPCR Diagnostics in Virology

“…The assays that were selected for comparative evaluation in this study have been thoroughly evaluated for the respective detection of CHIKV and RVFV; they have also been used in external quality assessment studies conducted by the European or international level [6,[8][9][10][11].…”

Ultrastructural pathology of human liver in Rift Valley fever

“…RVF is a viral zoonosis affecting humans and a wide range of ruminant animals, mostly, sheep, goat and cattle 1. The disease was first described in 1930 along the shores of Lake Naivasha in the greater Rift Valley of Kenya 2.…”

External quality assessment of Rift Valley fever diagnosis in 17 veterinary laboratories of the Mediterranean and Black Sea regions

“…For serological diagnosis of the infection, we recommended the use of the ID Screen Rift Valley Fever Competition Multi-species (IDVet) ELISA, a commercially available kit that has been widely used in surveillance programs, with optimal sensitivity and specificity [26,27].…”

“…In the human virology sector, one EQA was organized by the ENIVD network in 2012 to evaluate the molecular diagnostic capacities of 30 labs of 16 countries [29]. In the veterinary sector, only one EQA was organized in 2013-2014 by IZSAM in collaboration with WHO and FAO in the framework of the REMESA project [27]. Ten laboratories in six countries from Europe and North Africa participated to assess their molecular and serological diagnostic performances.…”