Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 12, 2025
High-throughput Detection of Respiratory Pathogens in Animal Specimens by Nanoscale PCR
Published on: November 28, 2016
Low Detection Rate of Bordetella pertussis Using the BioFire FilmArray Respiratory Panel 2plus
Sophie Guillot1,2, Assaf Mizrahi3,4, Nathalie Armatys1,2
1Biodiversity and Epidemiology of Bacterial Pathogens, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
Abstract:
Syndromic respiratory panels are increasingly used worldwide. Their performance for detection of Bordetella pertussis needs to be evaluated. We found that the FilmArray Respiratory Panel 2plus (RP2+) assay, which uses the pertussis toxin promoter target for B. pertussis, can only detect highly charged samples. Negative RP2+ results should not be interpreted as an absence of B. pertussis in clinical samples.
Insights
The FilmArray Respiratory Panel 2plus (RP2+) assay has limited detection of Bordetella pertussis, particularly in non-highly charged samples. Negative results do not rule out pertussis infection.
Area of Science:
- Clinical microbiology
- Infectious disease diagnostics
- Respiratory pathogen detection
Background:
- Syndromic respiratory panels are widely adopted for diagnosing respiratory infections.
- Accurate detection of Bordetella pertussis is crucial for managing whooping cough outbreaks.
- The performance of specific assays, like the FilmArray RP2+, requires thorough evaluation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the diagnostic performance of the FilmArray Respiratory Panel 2plus (RP2+) assay for detecting Bordetella pertussis.
- To determine the limitations of the RP2+ assay in identifying B. pertussis in clinical specimens.
Main Methods:
- Evaluation of the FilmArray Respiratory Panel 2plus (RP2+) assay.
- Focus on the detection target for Bordetella pertussis (pertussis toxin promoter).
- Assessment of assay performance across different sample types or charge characteristics.
Main Results:
- The FilmArray RP2+ assay demonstrated limited sensitivity for Bordetella pertussis detection.
- The assay was primarily effective only with highly charged clinical samples.
- Negative RP2+ results may lead to underdiagnosis of B. pertussis.
Conclusions:
- The FilmArray RP2+ assay's ability to detect Bordetella pertussis is constrained.
- Clinicians should exercise caution when interpreting negative RP2+ results for B. pertussis.
- Alternative or confirmatory testing may be necessary for suspected pertussis cases.
