Dataset Information

Results of the first German external quality assessment scheme for the detection of monkeypox virus DNA.

ABSTRACT:

Background

In May 2022, the monkeypox virus (MPXV) spread into non-endemic countries and the global community was quick to test the lessons learned from the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Due to its symptomatic resemblance to other diseases, like the non-pox virus varicella zoster (chickenpox), polymerase chain reaction methods play an important role in correctly diagnosing the rash-causing pathogen. INSTAND quickly established a new external quality assessment (EQA) scheme for MPXV and orthopoxvirus (OPXV) DNA detection to assess the current performance quality of the laboratory tests.

Methods

We analyzed quantitative and qualitative data of the first German EQA for MPXV and OPXV DNA detection. The survey included one negative and three MPXV-positive samples with different MPX viral loads. The threshold cycle (Ct) or other measures defining the quantification cycle (Cq) were analyzed in an assay-specific manner. A Passing Bablok fit was used to investigate the performance at laboratory level.

Results

141 qualitative datasets were reported by 131 laboratories for MPXV detection and 68 qualitative datasets by 65 laboratories for OPXV detection. More than 96% of the results were correctly identified as negative and more than 97% correctly identified as positive. An analysis of the reported Ct/Cq values showed a large spread of these values of up to 12 Ct/Cq. Nevertheless, there is a good correlation of results for the different MPXV concentrations at laboratory level. Only a few quantitative results in copies/mL were reported (MPXV: N = 5; OPXV: N = 2), but the results correlated well with the concentration differences between the EQA samples, which were to a power of ten each.

Conclusion

The EQA results show that laboratories performed well in detecting both MPXV and OPXV. However, Ct/Cq values should be interpreted with caution when conclusions are drawn about the viral load as long as metrological traceability is not granted.

SUBMITTER: Vierbaum L

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10146505 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Results of the first German external quality assessment scheme for the detection of monkeypox virus DNA.

Vierbaum Laura L Wojtalewicz Nathalie N Kaufmann Anne A Goseberg Sabine S Kaiser Patricia P Grunert Hans-Peter HP Dühring Ulf U Zimmermann Anika A Scholz Annemarie A Michel Janine J Nitsche Andreas A Rabenau Holger F HF Obermeier Martin M Schellenberg Ingo I Zeichhardt Heinz H Kammel Martin M

PloS one 20230428 4

<h4>Background</h4>In May 2022, the monkeypox virus (MPXV) spread into non-endemic countries and the global community was quick to test the lessons learned from the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Due to its symptomatic resemblance to other diseases, like the non-pox virus varicella zoster (chickenpox), polymerase chain reaction methods play an important role in correctly diagnosing the rash-causing pathogen. INSTAND quickly established a new external quality assessment (EQA) scheme for MPXV and orthopoxvi ...[more]

PMID: 37115793

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Dataset Information

Results of the first German external quality assessment scheme for the detection of monkeypox virus DNA.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Publications

Results of the first German external quality assessment scheme for the detection of monkeypox virus DNA.

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