An approach to evaluating the reliability of diagnostic tests on pooled groups of infected individuals

• Published in: Preventive veterinary medicine 2014-10, Vol.116 (3), p.305-312
• Main Authors: Hall, L.M., Munro, L.A., Wallace, I.S., McIntosh, R., MacNeish, K., Murray, A.G.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alphavirus - isolation & purification; Alphavirus Infections - diagnosis; Alphavirus Infections - veterinary; Alphavirus Infections - virology; Animals; Diagnostic Tests, Routine - standards; Diagnostic Tests, Routine - veterinary; Fish Diseases - diagnosis; Fish Diseases - virology; Models, Theoretical; Pancreas Disease; Pancreatic Diseases - diagnosis; Pancreatic Diseases - veterinary; Pancreatic Diseases - virology; Pools; Quantitative real-time polymerase chain-reaction; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction - veterinary; Reproducibility of Results; RNA, Viral - analysis; Salmo salar; Salmonid alphavirus; Sensitivity and Specificity; Virus isolation
• ISSN: 0167-5877; 1873-1716
• DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2014.01.021

An experimental design and statistical analysis providing information on the reliability of pooled test procedures is described. It involves estimating the relationship between the probability of a positive pooled test result (dependent variable) and the expected number of infected individuals in a pool (explanatory variable). The intercept is an estimate of the proportion of false positives (1−pooled specificity) and pooled sensitivities can be estimated for indicative prevalences of infected individuals. Simulations for a theoretical infection are used to investigate the advantages and limitations of the approach. The approach is used to evaluate the reliability of a virus isolation and qRT-PCR test procedure detecting Salmonid alphavirus the pathogenic agent necessary for the development of Pancreas Disease in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar).