A new multiplex real-time PCR assay targets three fungal species by focusing on Histoplasma ITS1, Blastomyces BAD1, and Coccidioides A2/PRA regions, enabling direct detection of fungal DNA from clinical samples and bypassing slow culture to shorten turnaround times.

The development was showcased at the 2025 AMP Annual Meeting in Boston, led by Dr. Kenneth Gavina at Eskanazi Health and Indiana University School of Medicine.

While further clinical validation is ongoing, the team emphasizes the assay’s potential for rapid and reliable detection directly from specimens or as a definitive culture-based identification.

The test eliminates DNA extraction steps, reducing lab risk and speeding processing, and uses a platform already common in many clinical laboratories to improve accessibility.

With no FDA-approved molecular tests for these pathogens yet, the assay could significantly impact clinical practice, particularly for immunocompromised patients and regions where endemic mycoses are prevalent.

In the study’s clinical validation, the assay achieved 100% accuracy and 100% specificity for the tested samples, outperforming traditional methods that depend on culture, antigen tests, or antibody detection.

This development introduces a rapid, multiplex approach to detect the three major endemic fungal infections—Histoplasmosis, Blastomycosis, and Coccidioidomycosis (Valley fever)—in a single assay.