Abstract INTRODUCTION:

Several factors can cause false-positive results in the galactomannan (GM) test; however, others remain unknown. Presently, the impact of airborne contamination by Aspergillus conidia during enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) remains uninvestigated.

METHODS:

We studied 12 A. fumigatus isolates. Fungal conidia were serially diluted and tested for GM detection using the Platelia® Aspergillus enzyme immunoassay (EIA).

RESULTS:

The conidia concentration required for an EIA-positive result was 4.8 × 103 (median).

CONCLUSIONS:

This is the first study to evaluate the impact of environmental contamination on the Platelia® Aspergillus EIA assay. Only massive contamination can interfere with GM optical readings, suggesting that environmental contamination does not cause false-positive test results.