RAPID DETECTION OF CAMPYLOBACTER-JEJUNI AND CAMPYLOBACTER-COLI ISOLATED FROM CLINICAL SPECIMENS USING THE POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION

Seventeen Campylobacter strains isolated from 16 children hospitalised with acute diarrhea we re analysed by in vitro enzymatic amplificatio n using two sets of oligonucleotide primers specific for Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli, respectively. Thirteen strains (76 %) were identified as Campylobacter jejuni and four strains (24 %) as Cam pylobacter coli. Subsequent bacteriological identification confirmed t he identity of the same 13 Campylobacter jejuni strains and the 4 Camp ylobacter coli strains. Thus, these PCR methods enabled rapid and spec ific detection of all the Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli strains without any false-positive or false-negative results.