ArticlePloS one2017
Diagnostic accuracy of two multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction assays for the diagnosis of meningitis in children in a resource-limited setting.
Article in PloS one, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 32 citations in OpenAlex.
- Viral meningitis in Sub-Saharan Africa: trends in prevalence, etiologies, and diagnostic approaches.Virology journal · 2025Pooled it
- Real-World Evaluation of the BioFire FilmArray ME Panel: Diagnostic Accuracy and Clinical Utility.The Canadian journal of infectious diseases & medical microbiology = Journal canadien des maladies infectieuses et de la microbiologie medicale · 2026Article
- Molecular detection and serotyping of acute bacterial meningitis pathogens in Indian children.European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases : official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology · 2025Article
- Molecular diagnostic methods for rapid diagnosis of central nervous system infections.Frontiers in medical technology · 2025Review
- Progress in etiological diagnosis of viral meningitis.Frontiers in neurology · 2023Review
- Clinical use of multiplex-PCR for the diagnosis of acute bacterial meningitis.Journal of family medicine and primary care · 2022Article
- Article
- Direct Diagnosis of Echovirus 12 Meningitis Using Metagenomic Next Generation Sequencing.Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Article
- Article
- Article
- Methods for rapid diagnosis of meningitis etiology in adults.Biomarkers in medicine · 2020Review
- Highlights at the 28th Congress of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID), 2018.Revista espanola de quimioterapia : publicacion oficial de la Sociedad Espanola de Quimioterapia · 2019Article
- Multiplex-PCR for diagnosis of bacterial meningitis.Brazilian journal of microbiology : [publication of the Brazilian Society for Microbiology] · 2019Article
- The GenMark ePlexFuture microbiology · 2018Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionAccurate etiological diagnosis of meningitis is important, but difficult in resource-limited settings due to prior administration of antibiotics and lack of viral diagnostics. We aimed to develop and validate 2 real-time multiplex PCR (RT-PCR) assays for the detection of common causes of community-acquired bacterial and viral meningitis in South African children.
methodsWe developed 2 multiplex RT- PCRs for detection of S. pneumoniae, N. meningitidis, H. influenzae, enteroviruses, mumps virus and herpes simplex virus. We tested residual CSF samples from children presenting to a local paediatric hospital over a one-year period, whose CSF showed an abnormal cell count. Results were compared with routine diagnostic tests and the final discharge diagnosis. We calculated accuracy of the bacterial RT-PCR assay compared to CSF culture and using World Health Organisation definitions of laboratory-confirmed bacterial meningitis.
resultsFrom 292 samples, bacterial DNA was detected in 12 (4.1%) and viral nucleic acids in 94 (32%). Compared to CSF culture, the sensitivity and specificity of the bacterial RT-PCR was 100% and 97.2% with complete agreement in organism identification. None of the cases positive by viral RT-PCR had a bacterial cause confirmed on CSF culture. Only 9/90 (10%) of patients diagnosed clinically as bacterial meningitis or partially treated bacterial meningitis tested positive with the bacterial RT-PCR. DISCUSSION: In this population the use of 2 multiplex RT-PCRs targeting 6 common pathogens gave promising results. If introduced into routine diagnostic testing, these multiplex RT-PCR assays would supplement other diagnostic tests, and have the potential to limit unnecessary antibiotic therapy and hospitalisation.
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