Usefulness of the FilmArray meningitis/encephalitis (M/E) panel for the diagnosis of infectious meningitis and encephalitis in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Early recognition of causative pathogens is critical for the appropriate management of central nervous system infection and improved outcomes. The BioFire FilmArray Meningitis/Encephalitis Panel (BioFire ME Panel, BioFire Diagnostics) is the first U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved multiplex PCR assay that allows the rapid detection of 14 pathogens, including bacteria (n = 6), viruses (n = 7), and fungi (n = 1), from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The performance of the panel is expected to be dependent on the epidemiology of M/E in different geographical regions.

METHODS

In this preliminary study, we used the BioFire ME Panel in 42 subjects who presented to the emergency department with symptoms of M/E in our hospital. The results were compared to conventional culture, antigen detection, PCR, and various laboratory findings.

RESULTS

The panel detected six positive samples, of which five were viral and one bacterial. We observed an overall agreement rate of 88% between the BioFire ME Panel results and the conventional methods. There were no false-positive findings, but five discordant results were observed for enterovirus, herpes simplex virus type 1, Escherichia coli, and Cryptococcus species.

CONCLUSIONS

The BioFire ME Panel performed equivalently to the traditional PCR methods for virus detection, and better than bacterial cultures. This revolutionary system represents a paradigm shift in the diagnosis of M/E and may aid in the rapid identification of community-acquired M/E. However, the usefulness of this tool is limited in regions with a high prevalence of infectious M/E caused by microorganisms not included in the panel.