Comparison of the BD MAX Enteric Bacterial Panel to Routine Culture Methods for Detection of Campylobacter, Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (O157), Salmonella, and Shigella Isolates in Preserved Stool Specimens

We compared the BD MAX enteric bacterial panel (EBP) to culture for the detection of Salmonella, Shigella, Campylobacter, and Shiga toxin-producing enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157 in seeded stool samples. The EBP panel demonstrated superior sensitivity and reliably detected Salmonella, EHEC O157, Shigella, and Campylobacter at concentrations 1- to 2-log(10) lower than those needed for culture detection.