Prevalence estimation from pooled samples.
Under certain conditions, prevalence can be estimated by testing samples from individual members or by pooling samples from members into a group and by testing the sample from the group as a single unit. Pooled tests are more accurate than individual tests when P is less than 10%. Optimal group size is 1.6/P. Efficiency decreases slowly with suboptimal size and rapidly with overly large size.
Sacks
J M
JM
National Animal Disease Center, USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Ames, IA 50010.
Bolin
S R
SR
Crowder
S V
SV
D000818:Animals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D011336:Probability; D012494:Sampling Studies; D013223:Statistics as Topic