A spitting image: molecular diagnostics applied to saliva enhance detection of and pneumococcal serotype carriage.

Background: Despite strong historical records on the accuracy of saliva testing, oral fluids are considered poorly suited for pneumococcal carriage detection. We evaluated an approach for carriage surveillance and vaccine studies that increases the sensitivity and specificity of pneumococcus and pneumococcal serotype detection in saliva samples.

Methods: Quantitative PCR (qPCR)-based methods were applied to detect pneumococcus and pneumococcal serotypes in 971 saliva samples collected from 653 toddlers and 318 adults.

It Takes Two to Tango: Combining Conventional Culture With Molecular Diagnostics Enhances Accuracy of Detection and Pneumococcal Serogroup/Serotype Determination in Carriage.

Background: The specificity of molecular methods for the detection of carriage is under debate. We propose a procedure for carriage surveillance and vaccine impact studies that increases the accuracy of molecular detection of live pneumococci in polymicrobial respiratory samples.

Methods: Culture and qPCR methods were applied to detect pneumococcus and pneumococcal serotypes in 1,549 nasopharyngeal samples collected in the Netherlands ( = 972) and England ( = 577) from 946 toddlers and 603 adults, and in paired oropharyngeal samples collected exclusively from 319 Dutch adults.