The ECDC annual meeting of the European Influenza Surveillance Network (EISN) prepared in collaboration with the EISN Coordination Committee, brought together epidemiological and virological surveillance contact points and representatives from reference laboratories from the 31 EU/EEA Member States as well as participants from EU pre-accession countries, Eastern European Neighbourhood Policy partner countries, the WHO Regional Office for Europe, and involved international institutions.
ECDC promotes the performance of external quality assessment (EQA) schemes, in which laboratories are sent simulated clinical specimens or bacterial isolates for testing by routine or reference laboratory methods. EQA schemes, or laboratory proficiency testing, provide information about the accuracy of different characterisation and typing methods as well as antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) and the sensitivity of the methods in place to detect a certain pathogen or novel resistance patterns.
In June and July 2015, an influenza virus antiviral susceptibility external quality assessment was held for European reference laboratories. This report presents the results of the third antiviral EQA panel distributed by the European Reference Laboratory Network for Human Influenza since the European Influenza Surveillance Network was established in 2008.
In June and July 2015, an influenza virus antiviral susceptibility external quality assessment was held for European reference laboratories. This report presents the result of the third antiviral EQA panel distributed by the European Reference Laboratory Network for Human Influenza since the European Influenza Surveillance Network was established in 2008.