Evaluation of Molecular Assays for Rapid Diagnosis of Invasive Fungal Infections: Clinical Experience with the Commercial CandID and AspID Real-Time PCR Assays in Paraguay.

Invasive fungal infections, including candidemia and invasive aspergillosis, remain significant causes of morbidity and mortality in at-risk patient populations. Rapid, accurate diagnosis is critical for timely antifungal therapy and improved clinical outcomes. We evaluated two commercial molecular assays, the CandID Multiplex PCR and AspID Real-Time PCR, for detection of clinically relevant Candida and Aspergillus species, respectively, in at-risk patients in Paraguay. The CandID assay demonstrated strong agreement with blood culture in detecting candidemia. The AspID assay showed high concordance with galactomannan testing, particularly in bronchoalveolar lavage specimens, supporting its role as a complementary diagnostic tool. Our findings underscore the value of integrating molecular diagnostics into routine fungal diagnostic workflows to improve early detection of invasive fungal infections.