Neisseria gonorrhoeae False-Positive Result Obtained from a Pharyngeal Swab by Using the Roche cobas 4800 CT/NG Assay in New Zealand in 2012

The Roche cobas 4800 CT/NG assay is a commonly used commercial system for screening for Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection, and previous studies have shown the method to be highly sensitive and specific for urogenital samples. We present the first confirmed clinical N. gonorrhoeae false-positive result using the cobas 4800 NG assay, obtained from testing a pharyngeal swab sample and caused by cross-reaction with a commensal Neisseria strain.