PONE-D-21-10845

Development of a multiplex real-time PCR assay for the simultaneous detection of four bacterial pathogens causing pneumonia

PLOS ONE

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Academic Editor

PLOS ONE

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Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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2. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously?

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

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5. Review Comments to the Author

Reviewer #1: 

The manuscript was well designed and has technical rigor. The study question was answered. The proposed technique may help the diagnosis of pneumonia and will prevent the indiscriminate use of antibiotics.

Reviewer #2: 

The new mPCRs are promising tools to help clinicians to make clinical decisions in antibiotic treatments. The authors presented a promising array which could be useful in a clinical setting. It would be extremely useful information (and significantly strengthens the utility of the assay) to know if the assay is able to differentiate antibiotic resistant strain of the different types of bacteria.

1) Any analysis for hairpins etc for the PCR primers?

2) Have you investigated your assay against antibiotic resistant strains?

3) Have you investigated the antibiotic susceptibility data against the results from the assay?

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Reviewer #1: No

Reviewer #2: No

Development of a multiplex real-time PCR assay for the simultaneous detection of four bacterial pathogens causing pneumonia

PONE-D-21-10845R1

Dear Dr. Yang,

We’re pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been judged scientifically suitable for publication and will be formally accepted for publication once it meets all outstanding technical requirements.

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Kind regards,

Ruslan Kalendar, PhD

Academic Editor

PLOS ONE