Performance of the Check-Direct ESBL Screen for BD MAX TM for detection of asymptomatic fecal carriage of ESBL producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae.

•The performance of direct quantitative PCR based methods was evaluated in the detection of faecal ESBL carriage.•Culture-based method was used as a gold standard.•Whole genome sequencing (WGS) was used to confirm the ESBL genes.•The frequency of qPCR positive samples was 12.3 % and with culture based method 6.3 %, respectively.•Culture negative but qPCR positive discrepancy was observed in 6.9 % of the tested samples