A comparison of flocked swabs and traditional swabs, using multiplex real-time PCR for detection of common gastroenteritis pathogens in Botswana.

We compared the performance of flocked and matched traditional rectal swabs collected from 236 children admitted with gastroenteritis in Botswana. All samples were tested using real time multiplex-PCR assays for nine enteric pathogens. There was a 20% higher detection of Shigella from flocked swabs, but most other pathogens had similar detection rates.