APPLICATION OF MULTIPLEX POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION FOR RAPID IDENTIFICATION OF CAMPYLOBACTER-JEJUNI AND CAMPYLOBACTER-COLI ASSOCIATED WITH REPRODUCTIVE FAILURE

Objective-To evaluate a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to d istinguish Campylobacter jejuni from C coli as causes of reproductive failure. Procedure-Review of clinical cases of reproductive failure at tributed to C jejuni or C coli. Results-A case of swine abortion was a ttributable to infection with C coli. The porcine abortion isolates we re verified as C cell by restriction fragment length polymorphism and multiplex PCR. Cases of endometritis in a fox and in mink caused by C jejuni were reviewed, and isolates were confirmed as C jejuni by resul ts of the multiplex PCR. Conclusion-Multiplex PCR was useful in identi fying C coli and C jejuni recovered from atypical cases of reproductiv e failure. Multiplex PCR in conjunction with conventional assays may b e useful for verifying other unusual instances of campylobacteriosis.