Evaluation of the Cepheid Xpert C. difficile/Epi and meridian bioscience illumigene C. difficile assays for detecting Clostridium difficile ribotype 033 strains

• Published in: Journal of clinical microbiology Vol. 53; no. 3; pp. 973 - 975
• Main Authors: Androga, Grace O, McGovern, Alan M, Elliott, Briony, Chang, Barbara J, Perkins, Timothy T, Foster, Niki F, Riley, Thomas V
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Society for Microbiology 01.03.2015
• Subjects: Animals; Bacteriological Techniques - methods; Bacteriology; Clostridium difficile; Clostridium difficile - classification; Clostridium difficile - genetics; Clostridium difficile - isolation & purification; Clostridium Infections - diagnosis; Clostridium Infections - microbiology; Clostridium Infections - veterinary; Humans; Molecular Diagnostic Techniques - methods; Ribotyping; Sensitivity and Specificity
• ISSN: 0095-1137; 1098-660X
• DOI: 10.1128/JCM.03297-14

Clostridium difficile PCR ribotype 033 (RT033) is found in the gastrointestinal tracts of production animals and, occasionally, humans. The illumigene C. difficile assay (Meridian Bioscience, Inc.) failed to detect any of 52 C. difficile RT033 isolates, while all strains signaled positive for the binary toxin genes but were reported as negative for C. difficile by the Xpert C. difficile/Epi assay (Cepheid).