Proficiency of Nucleic Acid Tests for Avian Influenza Viruses, Australasia

Abstract

An avian influenza quality assurance program was used to provide information for laboratories on the sensitivity and specificity of their avian influenza nucleic acid testing. Most laboratories were able to correctly detect clinically relevant amounts of influenza virus (H5N1), and results improved as each subsequent panel was tested.

Keywords

• Avian influenza
• pandemic
• quality control
• reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction
• dispatch
• Australia