Table 6. RT-PCR methods used for tick-borne encephalitis virus RNA detection, external quality assessment for molecular detection of emerging neurotropic viruses, Europe (n = 42 laboratories).

Target	Method	Number of laboratories	False-negative
Tick-borne encephalitis virus
TBEV-3'-UTR	Schwaiger et al., 2003 [63]^a	17	None
TBEV-NS1	Achazi et al., 2011 [64]^a	5	None
TBEV-NS5	Puchhammer-Stöckl et al., 1995 [65]	2	None
TBEV-NS4	Bago et al., 2002 [66]^b	1	None
TBEV-5'-UTR	Schrader et al., 1999 [67]	1	None
TBEV-E	Briggs et al., 2011 [68]	1	None
TBEV-E	Gäumann et al., 2010 [69]^a	1	None
TBEV-5'-UTR	Klaus et al., 2010 [70]^a	1	None
TBEV-3'-UTR	Brinkley et al., 2008 [71]^b	1	None
TBEV-E	Andreassen et al., 2012 [72]^a	1	None
TBEV-E	Skarpaas et al., 2006 [73]	1	None
TBEV-various	Own design^b	2	None
TBEV Unknown	Genesig (commercial)^a	1	1
TBEV Unknown	Amplisense (commercial)^a	2	1
TBEV Unknown	Viasure (commercial)^a	1	None
Pan-flavivirus
Pan-flavi NS5	Scaramozzino et al., 2001 [51]	7	None
Pan-flavi NS5	Sanchez-Seco et al., 2005 [52]	3	2
Pan-flavi NS5	Moureau et al., 2007 [53]	1	None
Pan-flavi NS5	Patel et al., 2013 [54]	2	None
Pan-flavi NS5	Briese et al., 1999 [55]	1	None
Pan-flavi NS5	Vina-Rodriguez et al., 2017 [56]	1	None
Pan-flavi NS5	Vazques et al., 2012 [57]	1	None
Pan-flavi unknown	Own design	2	None
Pan-flavi unknown	Genekam (commercial)	1	None
Pan-flavi unknown	TibMolBiol (commercial)	1	None

TBEV: tick-borne encephalitis virus.

^a Included in statistical analysis as classified as virus-specific real-time RT-PCR.

^b Excluded from statistical analysis since cannot be classified as real-time RT-PCR or conventional RT-PCR.