Low Sensitivity of a New Rapid Test for Coccidioidomycosis

Within the endemic region of coccidioidomycosis, up to one third of cases of community-acquired pneumonia are due to this fungal infection. Unfortunately, such cases are frequently missed, leading to overuse of antibacterials and missed opportunities for management. The mainstay of coccidioidomycosis diagnosis is serology. Enzyme-linked immunoassays (EIA) are sensitive and results are relatively rapid, but tests are not always available. Other assays, such as immunodiffusion and complement fixation, are less available and more time-consuming but are more specific. There is a need for a rapid and available assay. To explore such an assay, researchers in Arizona performed a prospective observational study among 370 adult patients at two medic…