Performance of the xTAG® gastrointestinal pathogen panel, a multiplex molecular assay for simultaneous detection of bacterial, viral, and parasitic causes of infectious gastroenteritis.

The xTAG(®) Gastrointestinal Pathogen Panel (GPP) is a multiplexed molecular test for 15 gastrointestinal pathogens. The sensitivity and specificity of this test were assessed in 901 stool specimens collected from pediatric and adult patients at four clinical sites. A combination of conventional and molecular methods was used as comparator. Sensitivity could be determined for 12 of 15 pathogens and was 94.3% overall. The specificity across all 15 targets was 98.5%. Testing for the pathogen identified was not requested by the physician in 65% of specimens. The simultaneous detection of these 15 pathogens can provide physicians with a more comprehensive assessment of the etiology of diarrheal disease.