Animal health | PT VET

Veterinary proficiency test (PT VET)

The service “Quality of Laboratories” organises an external quality assessment (EQA) for diagnostic tests related to veterinary medicine.

Laboratories, approved by the Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC) for performing diagnostic tests within the framework of the official surveillance and monitoring programmes for animal diseases, must take part in this EQA (Royal Decree of 15 April 2005).

15 April 2005 — Royal decree on the designation of official laboratories, laying down the procedure and the conditions of approval of laboratories performing analyses within the framework of the control mission of the FASFC and implementing the Law of 15 July 1985 on the use in animals of substances having a hormonal, anti-hormonal, beta-adrenergic or production-enhancing action

Other laboratories may voluntarily participate in the quality evaluation after agreement of the service “Quality of laboratories”.

Content of the programme

Number of proficiency tests per year​: 10 till 15

Number of samples per proficiency test: 5 till 20

Sample type:

The EQA uses a split-level (different levels of analysis) and a split-sample (different aliquots of the same sample) design, which allows the accuracy and/or precision to be demonstrated at different levels. In addition, samples close to the cut-off value can be included for which different acceptance criteria are used to collect information on the sensitivity of the analytical methods used and/or participating laboratories.

Parameters:

Overview of the veterinary proficiency test programs

Domain-specific instructions

Manual for the participants

Manual toolkit

Participation

This programme was initially intended for FASFC-approved laboratories, but has been extended to other veterinary laboratories in Belgium and worldwide (private and state laboratories, etc.).

The profiency test for Capripox was organised in cooperation with EURL and includes numerous laboratories (EU and non-EU).

EQA calendars

2025         2024         2023         2022         2021

Submission of results

Laboratories submit their results via the Toolkit (password required).

Toolkit

Reports

Individual reports

An English individual report will be made available in the Toolkit, at the latest 4 weeks after the deadline for the submission of the results. This report contains the necessary information for the participants to assess their own performance.

Global reports

An English global report will be made available on this website at the latest 16 weeks after the deadline for submission of results. Participants will be informed by e-mail.

Older reports are available on request.

Annual meeting

Every year, participants receive an invitation to attend the annual meeting or follow it online.
During this meeting, the results of the past year are discussed and participants have the opportunity to ask questions.

Coordination

Coordinator

Ynse Van de Maele
+32 2 642 55 24
​ynse.vandemaele@sciensano.be

Alternate coordinator

​Bernard China
+32 2 642 53 85
​bernard.china@sciensano.be

Secretariat

​+32 2 642 55 22                                       
​QL_secretariat@sciensano.be
​Rue Juliette Wytsmanstraat 14 • 1050 Brussel

ISO17043 accreditation

The service “Quality of Laboratories” is BELAC accredited on the basis of the ISO17043:2010 standard. This standard is specifically aimed at the organisation of external quality evaluations.

​ISO17043 accreditation scope

Advisory committee

The coordinator of the EQA is supported by an advisory committee, consisting of:

Veterinary diagnostics coordinator:

Isabelle Behaeghel

Technical manager(s) of the reference laboratories of the service “Infectious diseases in animals” within Sciensano:

Nadège Balmelle
Cécile Boland
Gaëtan De Gryse
Ilse De Leeuw
Carole Kowalewicz
Sylvie Marche
Elisabeth Mathijs
Anneleen Matthijs
Severine Matthijs
Marcella Mori
Wannes Philips
Marylene Tignon
​Frank Vandenbussche

If necessary, the coordinator may appeal on the knowledge of other experts.