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EpidemiologyFrequency and Characteristics of Biological False-Positive Test Results for Syphilis Reported in Florida and New York City, USA, 2013 to 2017Discordant syphilis test results, with a reactive nontreponemal test and nonreactive treponemal test are usually considered biological false-positive test results (BFPs), which can be attributed to other conditions. Syphilis surveillance laws mandate laboratory reporting of reactive syphilis tests, which include many BFPs. We describe the frequency of BFPs, titer distributions, and titer increases from reported test results in Florida...
BacteriologyMulticenter Clinical Evaluation of a Novel Multiplex Real-Time PCR (qPCR) Assay for Detection of Fluoroquinolone Resistance in Mycoplasma genitaliumMycoplasma genitalium causes a common sexually transmitted infection with a marked propensity to develop antimicrobial resistance. As few treatment options exist, this poses significant challenges to clinicians. Recent diagnostic advances have resulted in tests that report the simultaneous detection of M....
MycologyIdentification of Candida auris by Use of the Updated Vitek 2 Yeast Identification System, Version 8.01: a Multilaboratory Evaluation StudyCandida auris is an emerging multidrug-resistant yeast that has been systematically incorrectly identified by phenotypic methods in clinical microbiology laboratories. The Vitek 2 automated identification system (bioMérieux) recently included C. auris in its database (version 8.01). We evaluated the...
BacteriologyPilot Evaluation of a Fully Automated Bioinformatics System for Analysis of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Genomes and Detection of OutbreaksGenomic surveillance that combines bacterial sequencing and epidemiological information will become the gold standard for outbreak detection, but its clinical translation is hampered by the lack of automated interpretation tools. We performed a prospective pilot study to evaluate the analysis of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) genomes using the Next...
ParasitologyRecombinant Cysteine Proteinase B from Leishmania braziliensis and Its Domains: Promising Antigens for Serodiagnosis of Cutaneous and Visceral Leishmaniasis in DogsLeishmaniasis represents a group of parasitic diseases caused by a protozoan of the genus Leishmania and is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions. Leishmaniasis is one of the major tropical neglected diseases, with 1.5 to 2 million new cases occurring annually. Diagnosis remains a challenge despite advances in parasitological, serological, and molecular methods. Dogs are an important host for the parasite and...
BacteriologyAutomated Detection of Streptococcus pyogenes Pharyngitis by Use of Colorex Strep A CHROMagar and WASPLab Artificial Intelligence Chromogenic Detection Module SoftwareColorex Strep A agar (CHROMagar, Paris, France) was evaluated with PhenoMATRIX chromogenic detection module (CDM) software (Copan Diagnostics Inc., Murrieta, CA) to detect group A Streptococcus (GAS) from throat specimens. The software results were compared to those of manual plate image reading. In addition, GAS PCR testing was performed on all specimens.
BacteriologyInvestigation of Preanalytical Variables Impacting Pathogen Cell-Free DNA in Blood and UrinePathogen cell-free DNA (pcfDNA) in blood and urine is an attractive biomarker; however, the impact of preanalytical factors is not well understood. Blood and urine samples from healthy donors spiked with cfDNA from Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Salmonella enterica,...
VirologyComparison of Three Adenovirus Quantitative PCR Assays with ATCC Reference Strains and Clinical SamplesAdenoviruses (AdV) have been associated with a variety of human diseases and are recognized as causing significant morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised or transplant patients. Quantification of AdV DNA in plasma is notoriously difficult due to the genetic diversity of the 71 different serotypes identified to date. There is no World Health Organization standard available to harmonize quantitative data, so results between labs...
BacteriologyPerformance of Five Commercial Identification Platforms for Identification of Staphylococcus delphiniThe Staphylococcus intermedius group (SIG) is a collection of coagulase-positive staphylococci consisting of four distinct species, namely, Staphylococcus cornubiensis, Staphylococcus delphini,...
BacteriologyUltrasensitive Detection of Clostridioides difficile Toxins in Stool by Use of Single-Molecule Counting Technology: Comparison with Detection of Free Toxin by Cell Culture Cytotoxicity Neutralization AssayLaboratory tests for Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) rely on the detection of free toxin or molecular detection of toxin genes. The Singulex Clarity C. diff toxins A/B assay is a rapid, automated, and ultrasensitive assay that detects C. difficile toxins A and B in stool. We compared CDI...