Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) was detected in humans in 2012. Since then, sporadic outbreaks with primary transmission through dromedary camels to humans and outbreaks in healthcare settings have shown that MERS-CoV continues to pose a threat to human health. Several serologic assays for MERS-CoV have been developed globally. We describe a collaborative study to investigate the comparability of serologic assays for MERS-CoV and assess any benefit associated with the introduction of a standard reference reagent for MERS-CoV serology. Our study findings indicate that, when possible, laboratories should use a testing algorithm including > 2 tests to ensure correct diagnosis of MERS-CoV. We also demonstrate that the use of a reference reagent greatly improves the agreement between assays, enabling more consistent and therefore more meaningful comparisons between results.
【저자키워드】 viruses, antibodies, serology, MERS-CoV, Saudi Arabia, diagnostics, Middle East respiratory syndrome Coronavirus, South Korea, Standard, Oman, 【초록키워드】 Human, Diagnosis, Transmission, Laboratory, Health, outbreak, healthcare, comparison, Algorithm, Middle East, comparability, respiratory syndrome coronavirus, benefit, serologic assay, IMPROVE, shown, assays, standard reference, 【제목키워드】 serologic, respiratory, Middle East,