Table 1. Methods used to process each of 100 soil samples.

	Method	Description	Reference
i.	Conventional semiquantitative culture (ASH)	100 g soil - Semi-quantitative culture on Ashdown agar in LOMWRU using the method used previously in soil surveys in Laos.	3
ii.	Consensus method (CON-VTE).	10 g soil - Culture by the ‘consensus method’ in LOMWRU using Ashdown agar prepared in LOMWRU.	33
iii.	Consensus method (CON-VTE/BKK).	10 g soil - Culture by the consensus method in LOMWRU, using Ashdown agar prepared in MORU and shipped to Laos (in order to help determine whether differences in media performance or laboratory technique might account for differences in the performance of the consensus method in LOMWRU).	33
iv.	Consensus method (CON-BKK).	10 g soil - Culture by the consensus method performed at MORU	33
v.	Direct PCR (DS/qPCR)	0.5 g soil - PCR following direct DNA extraction from soil in LOMWRU	13
vi.	PCR following enrichment (ES/qPCR)	20 g soil - PCR following broth enrichment culture in LOMWRU	13