Performance and Practicality of a Rapid Molecular Test for the Diagnosis of Strep A Pharyngitis in a Remote Australian Setting

Janessa L Pickering; Dylan D Barth; Asha C Bowen

doi:10.4269/ajtmh.20-0341

Performance and Practicality of a Rapid Molecular Test for the Diagnosis of Strep A Pharyngitis in a Remote Australian Setting

Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2020 Dec;103(6):2530-2532. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.20-0341. Epub 2020 Sep 3.

Authors

Janessa L Pickering^{1

2}, Dylan D Barth^{1

2}, Asha C Bowen^{1

2

3

4}

Affiliations

¹ 1Wesfarmer's Centre for Vaccines and Infectious Diseases, Telethon Kids Institute, Nedlands, Australia.
² 2Centre for Child Health Research, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Australia.
³ 3Department of Infectious Diseases, Perth Children's Hospital, Nedlands, Australia.
⁴ 4Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia.

Abstract

Over 5 days, 120 schoolchildren from two schools in the remote Kimberley region of Australia were screened for Strep A pharyngitis. Molecular point-of-care testing identified Strep A pharyngitis in 13/18 (72.2%) symptomatic children. The portability and feasibility of molecular point-of-care testing was highly practical for remote settings.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Australia / epidemiology
Child
Delivery of Health Care
Humans
Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques / methods*
Pilot Projects
Streptococcal Infections / diagnosis*
Streptococcal Infections / microbiology
Streptococcus pyogenes / isolation & purification*
Time Factors