Table 2.

Comparison of different molecular assays and the routine clinical method for enteropathogen identification.

	No. Cases	Detection with different assays
		VIASURE monoplex	VIASURE multiplex	R-Biopharm multiplex	Conventional diagnosticb	Resolution test
Salmonella
9 S. Typhimurium, 5 S. Enteritidis, 2 S. serogroup G, 1 S. Mbandaka, 1 S. Braenderup, 1 S. Paratyphi A	19	+	+	+	+	N/Ac
1 Salmonella spp	1	+	+	+	-	Sequencingd
1 S. serogroup G	1	+	+	-	+	N/Ac
1 S. Typhimurium	1	-	-	+	+	N/Ac
1 S. Typhimurium, 1 S. Enteritidis	2	-	-	-	+	N/Ac
Total	24	21	21	21	23
Campylobacter
35 C. jejuni, 3 C. coli, 3 Campylobacter spp	41	+	+	+	+	N/Ac
5 C. concisus, 3 C. jejuni, 2 C. coli, 1 C. curvus, 1 C. gracilis, 4 Campylobacter spp	16	+	+	+	-	Sequencinge
1 C. jejuni	1	+	+	-	+	N/Ac
4 C. upsaliensis, 2 C. hyointestinalis, 1 C. coli, 1 C. concisus, 1 C. helveticus, 1 Campylobacter spp	10	+	+	-	-	Mericon assay/Sequencingf
1 Campylobacter spp	1	+	-	+	-	Mericong
1 C. concisus, 1 C. rectus	2	+	-	-	-	Mericon/ Sequencingh
Total	71	71	68	58	42
Yersinia enterocolitica
4 Yersinia enterocolitica O:3	4	+	+	+	+	N/Ac
Total	4	4	4	4	4

Abbreviations: +, positive detection; −, negative detection; S., Salmonella; C., Campylobacter; N/A, not applicable.

^bConventional diagnostic assays included the culture method, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, agglutination assays, and biochemical tests.

^cA discrepancy analysis was not applicable, because these samples were positive in culture, which immediately defined them as a “case”.

^dConventional PCR was unsuccessful; therefore, the Salmonella serotype was not resolved in this sample; however, it was considered a “case”, based on three diagnostic methods, which supported a positive result.

^eSequencing was not successful in 4/16 samples, but the Mericon assay (the qPCR resolution test) performed with these four samples provided a positive result; thus, all were considered “cases”.

^fAll of these samples were positive in the Mericon assay, and the positive result was confirmed with sequencing in 9/10 samples.

^gThis sample was positive in the Mericon assay.

^hThese two samples were positive in the Mericon assay, and the positive result was confirmed by sequencing in both samples.