<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><xml><records><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>13</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Géraldine de Muylder</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Wouter Van Dyck</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Pieter-Jan Ceyssens</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Wesley Mattheus</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Florence Crombé</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Denis Piérard</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Delphine Martiny</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Olivier Vandenberg</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Kris Vernelen</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Bernard China</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Anne-Marie Van den Abeele</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Dieter Van Cauteren</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Possible impact of culture-independent diagnostic techniques on surveillance of gastrointestinal pathogens in Belgium</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">ESCAIDE 2024</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">culture-independent diagnostic</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">gastrointestinal bacteria</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2024</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2024</style></date></pub-dates></dates><publisher><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">ESCAIDE</style></publisher><pub-location><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Stockholm, Sweden</style></pub-location><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">&lt;p&gt;Culture-independent diagnostic techniques (CIDT) are increasingly used to detect gastrointestinal pathogens as they offer short turnaround times, high sensitivities and specificities, and ultimately improve patient care. However, the absence of clinical isolates may hamper epidemiological investigations and public health surveillance. In Belgium, CIDT for gastrointestinal pathogens are not widely used yet, but a change in the reimbursement conditions might affect laboratory practices.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;In the context of the project &lt;em&gt;United 4 Surveillance&lt;/em&gt;, whose main objective is to strengthen surveillance of infectious diseases in Europe, we carried out an online survey in April 2024 among medical laboratories in Belgium. The aim was to (i) estimate current diagnostic practices, (ii) assess future diagnostic practices in light of the upcoming change in test reimbursement and (iii) estimate the interest of laboratories for public health questions for &lt;em&gt;Salmonella&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;Shigella&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;Yersinia&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;STEC&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;Campylobacter&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;The participation rate was 80% (90/113). For&lt;em&gt; STEC,&lt;/em&gt; up to 55% of the laboratories are currently using CIDT with an increase to 85% when CIDT will be added to the reimbursement conditions. For the other four pathogens, 75 to 95% of the laboratories currently perform culture, but a change in diagnostic practice towards CIDT is foreseen (55-70%) when included in the reimbursement scheme. More than 80% of the laboratories intend to perform reflex cultures or send samples to the national reference centers.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;A switch in diagnostic practices towards CIDT for gastrointestinal pathogens is expected but there is a strong intention of the laboratories to participate to surveillance activities. The impact of this change will be monitored closely to maintain a comprehensive view on circulating strains for public health surveillance.&lt;/p&gt;
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