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

Lower respiratory tract (LRT) infections represent a major cause of mortality, particularly among critically ill patients. Molecular diagnostic tests have improved the detection of respiratory pathogens; however, most commercial assays are validated exclusively in upper RT (URT) specimens, limiting their applicability in LRT samples, which better reflect disease severity. 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 the Allplex SARS-CoV-2 assay as reference methods validated for both matrices.