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Updated: Sep 5, 2025
Culture Methods to Determine the Limit of Detection and Survival in Transport Media of Campylobacter Jejuni in Human Fecal Specimens
Published on: March 10, 2020
Diagnostic accuracy of multiplex nucleic acid amplification tests for Campylobacter infection: a systematic review
Xanthoula Rousou1, Luis Furuya-Kanamori2, Polychronis Kostoulas1
1Laboratory of Epidemiology and Artificial Intelligence, Faculty of Public and One Health, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, Karditsa, Greece.
Abstract:
Campylobacter infection is one of the most frequently reported foodborne diseases with approximately 230,000 and 1.5 million cases each year in Europe and the USA, respectively. Culture methods are the reference for the diagnosis of Campylobacter infections; however, these methods are complex and time-consuming. Multiplex nucleic acid amplification test is favored due to its rapidity, automatization in the procedure followed and the quick simultaneous testing of numerous foodborne pathogens. The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the accuracy of these tests for the diagnosis of Campylobacter infection. Scopus, Science Direct, PubMed, Web of Science, and Mendeley were searched for peer-reviewed articles. The split component synthesis method with the use of the inverse variance heterogeneity model was chosen for the quantitative meta-analysis. Sensitivity analysis was performed by age category and index test. The literature search found 34 studies involving 28,105 patients with suspected gastroenteritis. The sensitivity and specificity were 95.3% (92.3; 97.1) and 97.1% (95.1; 98.3), respectively, and AUC (area under the curve) was 0.963 (0.947; 0.974). Pediatric patients had a lower sensitivity (87.4, 48.2; 98.1) and higher specificity (99.2, 91.6; 99.9) estimate compared to all ages category (sensitivity 95.3, 91.3; 97.5, specificity 96.7, 93.7; 98.3). Among the various index tests, Seeplex/Allplex and Amplidiag/Novodiag had the lowest estimate for sensitivity (88.9, 73.8; 95.8) and specificity (95.2, 86; 98.4), respectively. BDMax had the highest (sensitivity 98.1, 96.1; 99 and specificity 98.5, 97; 99.3). Multiplex nucleic acid tests showed excellent accuracy and could play an influential role in diagnosing Campylobacter infections.
Insights
Multiplex nucleic acid amplification tests offer a rapid and accurate method for diagnosing Campylobacter infections, a common foodborne illness. These advanced tests demonstrate high sensitivity and specificity, surpassing traditional culture methods in efficiency.
Area of Science:
- Clinical Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
- Molecular Diagnostics
Background:
- Campylobacter infection is a leading cause of foodborne illness globally, with significant public health impact.
- Traditional culture methods for Campylobacter diagnosis are time-consuming and labor-intensive.
- Multiplex nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) offer a promising alternative due to their speed and ability to test for multiple pathogens simultaneously.
Approach:
- A meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of multiplex NAATs for Campylobacter infection.
- A systematic literature search was performed across major scientific databases (Scopus, Science Direct, PubMed, Web of Science, Mendeley).
- The split component synthesis method with an inverse variance heterogeneity model was used for quantitative analysis, with sensitivity analysis by age and test type.
Key Points:
- The meta-analysis included 34 studies with 28,105 patients, revealing high overall sensitivity (95.3%) and specificity (97.1%) for multiplex NAATs.
- Area Under the Curve (AUC) was 0.963, indicating excellent diagnostic performance.
- Specific tests like BDMax showed superior accuracy, while pediatric patients exhibited slightly different sensitivity and specificity profiles compared to the general population.
Conclusions:
- Multiplex nucleic acid amplification tests demonstrate excellent accuracy in diagnosing Campylobacter infections.
- These advanced molecular diagnostic tools can significantly improve the efficiency and speed of Campylobacter detection in clinical settings.
- The findings support the influential role of multiplex NAATs in managing and controlling foodborne diseases caused by Campylobacter.
