Evaluation of Clearview Exact PBP2a, a new immunochromatographic assay, for detection of low-level methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LL-MRSA).

We evaluated the performance of a new immunochromatographic assay (ICA), the Clearview Exact PBP2a, for rapid detection of penicillin-binding protein 2a (PBP2a) in a challenge set of Staphylococcus aureus strains showing MICs to oxacillin of ≤16 mg/liter. The sensitivity and specificity of the ICA were 96.6% and 100%, respectively.