Annual proficiency test
The EURL for Fish and Crustacean Diseases organizes an annual inter-laboratory proficiency test for the National Reference Laboratories (NRLs).
Aim
The aim of the proficiency tests is to assess the ability of participating laboratories to identify the fish diseases listed and categorized in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/1882 and other current fish diseases.
Content
The inter-laboratory proficiency test consists of two separate parts: Proficiency test 1 and 2. Each test consists of 5 coded ampoules containing lyophilized material.
Proficiency test 1
In proficiency test 1, each participating laboratory has to identify any VHSV, IHNV or EHNV content in the ampoules according to the procedures described in the diagnostic manuals provided by the EURL for Fish Diseases
Proficiency test 2
In proficiency test 2, participants have to identify any KHV (CyHV-3) and ISAV content of the ampoules according to the procedures described in the diagnostic manuals provided by the EURL for Fish Diseases
Additionally SAV is included in proficiency test 2 and participants can include test for it on a voluntarily basis according to the WOAH Manual of Diagnostic Tests for Aquatic Animals, chapter 2.3.8
Watch video on how to open the ampoules
Report
Each participating laboratory receives a report containing information on the virus isolates in the ampoules and a summary of the results of all laboratories in a coded version. The participants are informed of their own code number and are thus able to compare their performance to that of the others. The results of the two proficiency tests will be scored independently.