European Inter-Laboratory Proficiency Test for Dourine Antibody Detection Using the Complement Fixation Test

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Parasitology
• Equine Infectious Diseases
• Serological Diagnostics

Background:

• Dourine is a significant sexually transmitted parasitic disease impacting equids.
• The complement fixation test (CFT) is the standard serodiagnostic method for dourine.
• Accurate diagnosis is crucial for controlling the spread of dourine in equine populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the performance of European National Reference Laboratories (NRLs) in dourine diagnosis.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of inter-laboratory proficiency tests (ILPTs) for dourine serology.
• To identify areas for improvement in dourine surveillance and diagnosis.

Main Methods:

• Organized three dourine CFT ILPTs in 2015, 2018, and 2022.
• Utilized panels of horse sera from non-infected, immunized, and experimentally infected animals.
• Involved 22 NRLs from the European Union network in at least one testing session.

Main Results:

• Laboratory performance in achieving 100% correct results varied: 57% (2015), 90% (2018), and 80% (2022).
• The ILPTs highlighted the importance of standardizing the CFT's detection limit.
• Consistent evaluation of NRLs is essential for enhancing network performance.

Conclusions:

• Regular ILPTs are vital for maintaining and improving the quality of dourine diagnostics in European NRLs.
• Standardization of the CFT method's detection limit is beneficial.
• Establishing a representative bio-bank is recommended for improving ILPT sample quality and exploring alternative serological methods for international dourine surveillance.