Comparison between multiplex PCR and plyNCR RFLP/T-RFLP for the detection of multiple colonization in 141 nasopharyngeal swabs collected during study period 4 for which culture revealed growth of a pneumococcal strain.

Multiplex PCR was performed on DNA extracted from frozen stocks of the primary culture plate. plyNCR RFLP and T-RFLP detected more episodes of multiple colonization than multiplex PCR positive and In 3 of the 8 cocolonization events not detected by multiplex PCR non-typeable pneumococcal strains were involved.