WHO COLLABORATING CENTRE – ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE
EXTERNAL QUALITY ASSURANCE SYSTEM (EQAS)
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Participation in internal and external quality assurance systems is a useful tool for production of reliable laboratory results of consistently good quality.
However, a WHO survey of antimicrobial resistance surveillance capabilities in 1995 determined that more than 50% of laboratories performing susceptibility testing of Salmonella isolates did not participate in any formal system of quality assurance.
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Descriptions of the EQAS |
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The National Food Institute, a WHO Collaborating Centre and one of the coordinating agencies of WHO-GFN, is responsible for conducting the WHO-GFN EQAS for Salmonella serotyping and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) methods.
Included is also the option to take part in Shigella serotyping and AST, Campylobacter identification and AST as well as identification of an unknown enteric bacteria. This programme is developed specifically for national reference laboratories participating in the WHO-GFN, and runs annually.
Laboratories participating in the EQAS receive the strains by mail. The strains should be tested by the methods routinely used in the laboratory and the results should then be submitted to DTU Food through a web-based database (password-protected). Immediately upon receiving the results, an evaluation report will be generated for you.
Full anonymity is ensured; only DTU Food and the WHO GFN Regional Centre in your region will be given access to your results. When the results of each cycle of the EQAS have been evaluated, a final summary report is prepared and distributed to all GFN laboratories.
Various aspects of the proficiency test scheme may from time to time be subcontracted. When subcontracting occurs it is placed with a competent subcontractor and the National Food Institute is responsible to the scheme participants for the subcontractor's work. |
| EQAS reports |
 EQAS Report - 2009 (PDF document, 2 MB) |
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EQAS Report - 2008 (PDF document, 1.3 MB) |
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EQAS Report - 2007 (PDF document, 1 MB) |
 EQAS Report - 2006 (PDF document, 520 KB) |
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EQAS Report - 2004 (PDF document, 400 KB) |
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EQAS Report - 2003 (PDF document, 250 KB) |
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EQAS Report - 2002 (PDF document, 50 KB) |
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EQAS Report - 2001 (PDF document, 140 KB) |
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EQAS Report - 2000
(PDF document, 134 KB) |
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Eligibility to participate |
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The WHO-GFN EQAS is open to all national reference laboratories in the Global Foodborne Infections Network.
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Fees |
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Participation in the EQAS is free of charge for laboratories participating in the GFN. However, if your country claims taxes or customs fees this will be on the participating laboratory's expenses.
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How to participate |
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Participants who wish to sign up to the WHO-GFN EQAS do so through a web-based database. Members of the Global Foodborne Infections Network will receive an invitation to sign up each year when the sign-up database opens.
If you are a national reference laboratory and wish to take part in the EQAS but are not part of WHO-GFN, you must first join the WHO-GFN. You may send your request in either of the following ways:
Your message should contain the following information: "Yes, we would like to participate in the WHO-GFN"
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Information regarding WHO EQAS 2011 |
Relevant updated protocol and materials regarding this year's WHO-GFN EQAS is uploaded below.
The database for uploading results can be accessed through this link: http://thor.dfvf.dk/eqas (database accessible from September 2011, restricted access, username/password is required)
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Protocol for WHO EQAS 2011 corrected October 6th 2011
(PDF document, 150 KB) |
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Test forms for WHO EQAS 2011
(Word document, 1 MB) |
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Instructions for Opening and Reviving Lyophilised Cultures
(PDF document, 34 KB) |
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Subculture and Maintenance of Quality Strains
(PDF document, 175 KB) |