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EU REFERENCE LABORATORY – ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE
 
EQAS
 
One of the tasks as the EU Reference Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistance is to organise and conduct an External Quality Assurance System (EQAS) on susceptibility testing of Salmonella, Campylobacter, E. coli, enterococci and staphylococci.
 
The main objective of this EQAS is to support laboratories to assess and if necessary improve the quality of susceptibility testing of pathogens originating from food and animal sources. Furthermore, to assess and improve the comparability of surveillance and antimicrobial susceptibility data reported by different laboratories, and to harmonise the breakpoints used within the EU.
 
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.
 
Reports on already conducted EURL EQAS's are available for download elsewhere on this website:
EQAS Reports »
 
Protocols and testforms for the EURL EQAS on E. coli, enterococci and staphylococci conducted in June 2011 are available below.
 
Also, the EURL EQAS on MRSA (swabs), on Salmonella and Campylobacter,as well as an optional EQAS on genotypic characterisation 2010 are described in the protocol and other relevant material available below.
 
The next EURL EQAS's to be run is on detection and idenfication of MRSA (simulated nasal swabs), on antimicrobial susceptibility testing Salmonella and Campylobacter, as well as an optional EQAS on genotypic characterisation. These will be shipped to the participants in October 2011.
 
 
Protocol (text)