Molecular Diagnostic assays for High Consequence Pathogens

Molecular Diagnostic assays for High Consequence Pathogens.

PHE through the Rare and Imported Pathogens Laboratory provides a 24/7 frontline testing service for acute imported fevers for England, Wales and Northern Ireland and supports the Scottish National VHF testing service. This service is supported by other National Infection Services (NIS) High Containment Microbiology laboratories for business continuity and resilience and where possible aligns with diagnostic testing capability requirements for the NIHR UK Public Health Rapid Support Team.

We are looking to source CE-marked IVDD compliant commercial real time PCR assays for:-

a priority list of VHF/imported fever infections;

a selection of other imported and endemic infections;

a supplier with whom we can rapidly assess and develop assays for new/re-emerging pathogens for introduction for routine use in the UK or in country in response to an outbreak.

These are in order of priority and the first is an essential requirement. Suppliers should note that supply under business as usual test numbers may be relatively low but outbreaks trigger surges in test numbers both for UK use and use in country if UK PHRST are deployed and this surge capacity is a key part of the supply requirement.

Additionally PHE is a national front line responder and it is an expectation that PHE will require access to assay primer & probe sequences (this may be achieved through PHE-supplied CDA) to ensure resilience and awareness of assay performance to emerging threats.

Priority list - Essential (annual test numbers in brackets)

Filovirus (pan & species specific) (500)

CCHF (150)

Lassa (all clades) (40)

Dengue (pan & serotype specific) (3770)

Chikungunya (3140)

Rift Valley Fever Virus (140)

Yellow Fever (140)

West Nile virus (220)

Zika (1290)

Malaria (pan human pathogenic) (40)

Other infectious agents - Desirable TBE

Japanese encephalitis Orthopox

Parapox

Molluscum contagiosum Eastern, Venezuelan and Western Equine encephalitis viruses (specific)

Nipah virus

Hendra Virus

Junin virus

Mayaro virus

HSV

VZV

Hantavirus(species-specific coverage)

Oropouche

Leptospira sp

Coxiella burnetii Bacillus anthracis Burkholderia mallei & pseudomallei Brucella (pan and species specific)

Bartonella sp

B.burgdorferi sl

Borrelia (pan genus)

Rickettsia sp

O.tsutsugamushi

Francisella tularensis (inc subspecies)

Yersinia pestis

If you are able to provide all the test in the 'essential' and most of the 'desirables' please contact mercy.mashem@phe.gov.uk by 12:00 noon on the 26th of Oct, 2018.

We shall be holding a Supplier Day on the 8th & 9th of Nov, 2018 at the PHE Colindale site and potential suppliers are invited to attend to describe their products. A list of criteria for the presentation and other details will be send to those interested.

Please DO NOT respond, if you are unable to provide all the above 'Essential' list.The attendance of the Supplier Day is encouraged but not pre-requisite to the eligibility to tender.