A Real-Time Multiplex PCR Assay for Detection of<i>Elizabethkingia</i>Species and Differentiation between<i>Elizabethkingia anophelis</i>and<i>E. meningoseptica</i>

Nosocomial infections of <i>Elizabethkingia</i> species can have fatal outcomes if not identified and treated properly. The current diagnostic tools available require culture and isolation, which can extend the reporting time and delay treatment. Using comparative genomics, we developed an efficient multiplex real-time PCR for the simultaneous detection of all known species of <i>Elizabethkingia</i>, as well as differentiating the two most commonly reported species, <i>Elizabethkingia anophelis</i> and <i>Elizabethkingia meningoseptica</i>.