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The article discusses a ring-trial involving 7 European testing centers in Great Britain, Sweden and Germany to compare several real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods in the detection of Coxiella burnetii. Ten nucleic acid samples were received by each testing center. It indicates that real-time PCR assays that target multiple copy genes are more sensitive than those targeting single-copy genes and the additional use of a PCR targeting a single-copy gene can allow accurate quantification of the bacterial load present within a sample.