Fast and reliable detection of carbapenemase genes in various Gram negatives using a new commercially available fluorescence-based real-time polymerase chain reaction platform

The Revogene® Carba C assay is a real-time polymerase chain reaction–based assay that runs on the microfluidic Revogene platform. It was recently designed for the detection of genes encoding the 5 major carbapenemases (NDM, VIM, IMP, KPC, and OXA-48) from various Gram-negatives. A total of 145 clinical Gram-negative strains (96 carbapenemase producers and 49 non–carbapenemase producers) were tested. The overall sensitivity and specificity were 100%. All strains co-producing double carbapenemases have been correctly detected. All non–carbapenemase producers and nontargeted carbapenemase producers gave a negative result. The sample preparation was easy to handle, taking around 5 to 10 min per isolate, with a run time of approximately 70 min. This assay is a rapid, easy-to-perform, reliable tool to detect the most common carbapenemases, with excellent sensitivity and specificity regardless of the host bacteria. Given its user friendliness, simplicity, and short time to result, the Revogene® Carba C assay is suitable for microbiology laboratories.