Evaluation of the ELITe InGenius and Bordetella ELITe MGB Kit for the detection and identification of B. pertussis, B. parapertussis and B. holmesii.

Bordetella pertussis is the causative pathogen of whooping cough or pertussis, a contagious respiratory disease. Aside from serodiagnosis, laboratory confirmation of pertussis is done through PCR, as B. pertussis is difficult to culture. The ELITe InGenius instrument (ELITechGroup, France) with accompanying Bordetella ELITe MGB Kit was evaluated against a laboratory-developed assay. Both assays combine two screening (IS481, IS1001) and two confirmation targets (recA, ptxA-Pr or IS1002) for optimal sensitivity and specificity. The company's stated claims on sensitivity and reproducibility were confirmed. Accuracy testing showed full concordance between both assays for the screening targets. Minor discrepancies were seen for the B. pertussis confirmation target. Some cross-reactivity with other Bordetella species was observed for the IS481-target, however, none of these were confirmed in the ptxA-Pr target. These results show the suitability of the Bordetella ELITe MGB Kit for the detection and differentiation of B. pertussis, B. parapertussis and B. holmesii.