External Quality Assessment for Zika Virus Molecular Diagnostic Testing, Brazil

• Published in: Emerging infectious diseases Vol. 24; no. 5; pp. 888 - 892
• Main Authors: Fischer, Carlo, Pedroso, Celia, Mendrone, Jr, Alfredo, Bispo de Filippis, Ana Maria, Vallinoto, Antonio Carlos Rosário, Ribeiro, Bergmann Morais, Durigon, Edison Luiz, Marques, Jr, Ernesto T A, Campos, Gubio S, Viana, Isabelle F T, Levi, José Eduardo, Scarpelli, Luciano Cesar, Nogueira, Mauricio Lacerda, Bastos, Michele de Souza, Souza, Nathalia C Santiago, Khouri, Ricardo, Lira, Sanny, Komninakis, Shirley Vasconcelos, Baronti, Cécile, Charrel, Rémi N, Kümmerer, Beate M, Drosten, Christian, Brites, Carlos, de Lamballerie, Xavier, Niedrig, Matthias, Netto, Eduardo Martins, Drexler, Jan Felix
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States U.S. National Center for Infectious Diseases 01.05.2018; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Subjects: Analysis; Brazil; Causes of; diagnostics; Dispatch; External Quality Assessment for Zika Virus Molecular Diagnostic Testing, Brazil; Health aspects; Humans; Laboratories - standards; Medical tests; Molecular Diagnostic Techniques - standards; Patient care; Quality Control; real-time RT-PCR; RNA, Viral - isolation & purification; Sensitivity and Specificity; surveillance; vector-borne infections; Viral Load; viruses; Zika virus; Zika Virus - isolation & purification; Brazil; Americas; diagnostics; viruses; vector-borne infections; Brazil; Zika virus; surveillance; real-time RT-PCR
• ISSN: 1080-6040; 1080-6059
• DOI: 10.3201/eid2405.171747

We conducted an external quality assessment of Zika virus molecular diagnostic tests in Brazil using a new Zika virus standard. Of 15 laboratories, 73% showed limited sensitivity and specificity. Viral load estimates varied significantly. Continuous quality assurance is needed to adequately estimate risk for Zika virus-associated disease and determine patient care.