TY - JOUR
T1 - European external quality assessments for identification, molecular typing and characterization of Staphylococcus aureus
AU - Study Group on Staphylococci and Staphylococcal Infections (ESGS)
AU - Deplano, Ariane
AU - Dodémont, Magali
AU - Denis, Olivier
AU - Westh, Henrik
AU - Gumpert, Heidi
AU - Larsen, Anders Rhod
AU - Larsen, Jesper
AU - Kearns, Angela
AU - Pichon, Bruno
AU - Layer, Franziska
AU - Schulte, Berit
AU - Wolz, Christiane
AU - Spiliopoulou, Iris
AU - Brennan, Gráinne
AU - Empel, Joanna
AU - Hryniewicz, Waleria
AU - de Lencastre, Herminia
AU - Faria, Nuno Alexandre
AU - Codita, Irina
AU - Sabat, Artur J.
AU - Friedrich, Alexander W.
AU - Deurenberg, Ruud H.
AU - Tristan, Anne
AU - Laurent, Frédéric
AU - Vandenesch, François
PY - 2018/1/1
Y1 - 2018/1/1
N2 - Objectives: We present the results of two European external quality assessments (EQAs) conducted in 2014 and 2016 under the auspices of the Study Group on Staphylococci and Staphylococcal Infections of ESCMID. The objective was to assess the performance of participating centres in characterizing Staphylococcus aureus using their standard in-house phenotypic and genotypic protocols. Methods: A total of 11 well-characterized blindly coded S. aureus (n " 9), Staphylococcus argenteus (n " 1) and Staphylococcus capitis (n " 1) strains were distributed to participants for analysis. Species identification, MIC determination, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, antimicrobial resistance and toxin gene detection and molecular typing including spa typing, SCCmec typing and MLST were performed. Results: Thirteen laboratories from 12 European countries participated in one EQA or both EQAs. Despite considerable diversity in the methods employed, good concordance (90%–100%) with expected results was obtained. Discrepancies were observed for: (i) identification of the S. argenteus strain; (ii) phenotypic detection of low-level resistance to oxacillin in the mecC-positive strain; (iii) phenotypic detection of the inducible MLSB strain; and (iv) WGS-based detection of some resistance and toxin genes. Conclusions: Overall, good concordance (90%–100%) with expected results was observed. In some instances, the accurate detection of resistance and toxin genes from WGS data proved problematic, highlighting the need for validated and internationally agreed-on bioinformatics pipelines before such techniques are implemented routinely by microbiology laboratories. We strongly recommend all national reference laboratories and laboratories acting as referral centres to participate in such EQA initiatives.
AB - Objectives: We present the results of two European external quality assessments (EQAs) conducted in 2014 and 2016 under the auspices of the Study Group on Staphylococci and Staphylococcal Infections of ESCMID. The objective was to assess the performance of participating centres in characterizing Staphylococcus aureus using their standard in-house phenotypic and genotypic protocols. Methods: A total of 11 well-characterized blindly coded S. aureus (n " 9), Staphylococcus argenteus (n " 1) and Staphylococcus capitis (n " 1) strains were distributed to participants for analysis. Species identification, MIC determination, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, antimicrobial resistance and toxin gene detection and molecular typing including spa typing, SCCmec typing and MLST were performed. Results: Thirteen laboratories from 12 European countries participated in one EQA or both EQAs. Despite considerable diversity in the methods employed, good concordance (90%–100%) with expected results was obtained. Discrepancies were observed for: (i) identification of the S. argenteus strain; (ii) phenotypic detection of low-level resistance to oxacillin in the mecC-positive strain; (iii) phenotypic detection of the inducible MLSB strain; and (iv) WGS-based detection of some resistance and toxin genes. Conclusions: Overall, good concordance (90%–100%) with expected results was observed. In some instances, the accurate detection of resistance and toxin genes from WGS data proved problematic, highlighting the need for validated and internationally agreed-on bioinformatics pipelines before such techniques are implemented routinely by microbiology laboratories. We strongly recommend all national reference laboratories and laboratories acting as referral centres to participate in such EQA initiatives.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85061208058&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/jac/dky260
DO - 10.1093/jac/dky260
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85061208058
SN - 0305-7453
VL - 73
SP - 2662
EP - 2666
JO - Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy
JF - Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy
IS - 10
ER -