Table 2.

Examples of studies demonstrating multiple pathogen detections by PCR in stool and respiratory samples.

Study	Short study description	Number (%) of samples with different pathogens detected per sample
Beckmann et al., 2014	PCR-based screening for 15 enteric pathogens in stool samples of altogether 312 pediatric patients with gastroenteritis and travelers with suspected parasite infestations in Switzerland	8 (2.6%) with two different pathogens
Frickmann et al., 2015a	PCR-based screening for 12 enteric pathogens in 410 stool samples of asymptomatic Madagascan children	5 (1.2%) with four different pathogens, 38 (9.3%) with three different pathogens, 38 (25.9%) with two different pathogens
Frickmann et al., 2015b	PCR-based screening for 17 enteric pathogens in 53 stool samples of European soldiers with diarrhea on deployment in Western African Mali	1 (1.9%) with five different pathogens, 1 (1.9%) with four different pathogens, 9 (17.0%) with three different pathogens, 12 (22.6%) with two different pathogens
Mejia et al., 2013	PCR-based screening for eight enteric parasites in stool samples of four hundred 13-month-old children in rural Ecuador	1 (0.3%) with four different pathogens, 3 (0.8%) with three different pathogens, 30 (7.5%) with two different pathogens
Houben et al., 2010	PCR-based screening for 10 viral and bacterial respiratory pathogens in nasopharyngeal aspirates of 82 infants with episodes of respiratory tract infections in the Netherlands	13 (15.9%) with three different pathogens, 22 (26.8%) with two different pathogens
Martin et al., 2013	PCR-based screening for 15 respiratory viruses and subtypes in nasal swabs in 455 incidents of respiratory illness in 225 childcare-attendees in the USA	4 (0.9%) with five different pathogens, 24 (5.3%) with four different pathogens, 54 (11.9%) with three different pathogens, 130 (28.6%) with two different pathogens
Wishaupt et al., 2011	qPCR-based screening for 17 viral and bacterial pathogens in nasal washing specimens obtained from 583 patients below 12 years of age with suspected acute respiratory infections in the Netherlands	3 (0.5%) with four different pathogens, 23 (4.0%) with three different pathogens, 114 (20.0%) with two different pathogens