Culture-based method with performance comparable to that of PCR-based methods for detection of group B Streptococcus in screening samples from pregnant women.

ABSTRACT

We compared five approaches for group B streptococcus (GBS) detection three culture-based methods and two methods using broth-enhanced real-time PCR. Carrot broth-enhanced subculture to GBS Detect (Hardy Diagnostics, Santa Maria, CA) exhibited sensitivity and specificity comparable to carrot broth- and LIM broth-enhanced real-time PCRs.