Results of Proficiency Testing for Trichinella in Poland, 2015–2019

Abstract

Trichinellosis is a zoonotic meat-borne disease caused by the nematodes of the genus Trichinella. Meat containing live Trichinella larvae is a source of infection. The examination of meat for Trichinella was introduced in 1869, but the digestion method for this did not appear in Poland until the late 1970s. Nowadays, the meat of all food animals susceptible to Trichinella spp. is examined in the frame of official post mortem control with the digestion method. The majority of laboratories in Poland meet the requirements of the ISO/IEC 17025 Standard (352 field laboratories). Laboratory personnel participate in quality control programs. This paper presents the results of proficiency tests (PTs) organized within 2015–2019 in Poland. Over this period, the laboratories examined 7580 samples (contamination levels: zero, one, three, and five larvae). Each laboratory was provided with a set of samples (one negative and three positive). Over 95% of the samples were considered correct in qualitative assessments, though the results of the quantitative evaluations were slightly lower, with 89% of samples being considered correct. Based on a sample evaluation, 88% of laboratories passed the PT comparison. A slight decrease was observed in the examination of samples spiked with five larvae, and great progress was achieved in samples containing three larvae. Low levels of sample contamination are sought after in laboratories but may make evaluations difficult. For this reason, we must consider increasing the number of larvae added to the samples in the next PTs.

Validation of the Magnetic Stirrer Method for the Detection of Trichinella Larvae in Muscle Samples Based on Proficiency Tests Results

“…Results of PT were evaluated and published as regional reports. The methodology of sample preparation and evaluation criteria were published earlier [ 17 ]. Since the risk associated with horse meat consumption differs [ 23 , 24 ], laboratories examining horse meat and PT results in this type of meat were excluded from the study.…”

“…In 2021, 362 laboratories were accredited in accordance with the International Standard Organization (ISO) Standard. The other laboratories, despite not having an accreditation certificate, also operate in accordance with the Quality Management System (QMS) [ 17 , 18 ].…”

“…We collected data from 2015 to 2019 as results of PTs. For the PTs, we used both kinds of evaluation, qualitative and quantitative [ 17 ]. The organization of PTs for such a large scale requires the use of a method that will guarantee quick and easy preparation of samples while ensuring accuracy and repeatability.…”

Gelatin medium for preserving of Trichinella spp. for quality control in laboratories – estimation of larvae viability

“…The National Reference Laboratory in Poland oversees over 700 field laboratories engaged in routine testing of meat for Trichinella spp. Preparing PT samples for such large number of laboratories requires a lot of time, and none of the previously described methods worked well when such a large number of samples were needed [19,20]. Therefore, we developed an improved medium for storing and transporting Trichinella larvae useful for quality control purposes.…”

Evaluation of factors contributing to variability of qualitative and quantitative proficiency testing for SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid detection

“…Therefore, an objective evaluation of system-wide product and laboratory measurement capability is needed. PT is an essential tool for monitoring the diagnostic proficiency of laboratories and providing results that allow the implementation of improved testing [14] . It is the procedure in which a government agency or professional institution sends identical samples to participating laboratories for blind analyses, and the results are then compiled and used as the basis for judging the testing ability of individual laboratories [15] , [16] .…”