Rapid diagnostic testing method to detect ROB β-lactamase gene in Neisseria meningitidis.

blaROB-1 is the only widely found β-lactamase in Neisseria meningitidis, and its presence is on the rise. To enhance our bacterial meningitis testing procedure, we clinically validated a real-time PCR assay to rapidly detect the blaROB gene and predict drug resistance in Neisseria meningitidis. A screen of 101 clinical isolates and 37 clinical specimens of blood and cerebrospinal fluid received between January 2018 and June 2024 found 8 isolates and 2 cerebrospinal fluid specimens that were positive for blaROB.