Author:

Keywords:

Science & Technology, Life Sciences & Biomedicine, Microbiology, TIME PCR PLATFORM, IDI-MRSA ASSAY, IDENTIFICATION, COLONIZATION, Bacteriological Techniques, Carrier State, Coagulase, Groin, Humans, Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Molecular Diagnostic Techniques, Nasal Mucosa, Sensitivity and Specificity, Staphylococcal Infections, MOSAR WP2 Study Team, 06 Biological Sciences, 07 Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences, 11 Medical and Health Sciences, 3202 Clinical sciences, 3207 Medical microbiology

Abstract:

The diagnostic sensitivities of the BD GeneOhm and Cepheid Xpert assays were compared using culture on log-serial dilutions of well-characterized methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and non-MRSA strains and on nasal and groin swabs from patients with histories of MRSA carriage. The sensitivities of GeneOhm and Xpert were high at 10(3)-CFU/ml MRSA concentrations (92.3% and 96.3%, respectively) although decreased considerably (<35%) at a 1-log-lower concentration. Unexpectedly, both assays also detected select coagulase-negative staphylococci, which requires further evaluation.