Assessment of Multiplex Molecular Tests for Detecting Viral Infections in Lower Respiratory Tract Specimens

Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) represent a major cause of morbidity and mortality, particularly among critically ill patients. Rapid molecular diagnostic tests have significantly improved the detection of respiratory pathogens. However, most commercial assays are validated exclusively for upper respiratory tract (URT) specimens, limiting their applicability for lower respiratory tract (LRT) samples, which are often more representative of disease in advanced or severe cases. This study evaluated the diagnostic performance of two commercially available assays, the “BIOFIRE Respiratory Panel 2.1 plus” and the “Panther Fusion SARS-CoV-2/Flu A/B/RSV assay”, on bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) specimens, using the “Allplex Respiratory Panel 1/2/3” and “Allplex SARS-CoV-2 Assay” as reference methods validated both for URT and LRT matrices.