IDENTIFICATION OF FRANCISELLA-TULARENSIS IN NATURAL-WATER SAMPLES BY PCR

Francisella tularensis, the causative agent of the epizootic disease t ularemia in mammals, can be isolated from mud and water. To study the spread and persistence of Francisella tularensis in water, different s trategies for pre-treatment of natural water samples prior to identifi cation of the bacterium by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were evalua ted. A method for handling of samples taken from natural waters was de veloped. Applied on natural water samples amended with F. tularensis, the method rendered identification by PCR reproducible and it resulted in an amplified Francisella-specific product in all samples from natu ral waters tested. In addition, by employing primers targeting conserv ed regions of the 16S rDNA the presence of bacteria was demonstrated i n all samples investigated. The results presented will, in combination with other techniques that allow identification, improve studies on t he epizootiology and epidemiology of the genus Francisella.