LOW-STRINGENCY PCR WITH DIAGNOSTICALLY USEFUL PRIMERS FOR IDENTIFICATION OF LEPTOSPIRA SEROVARS

Primers proposed for the diagnosis of the pathogenic spirochete Leptos pira spp. (C. Gravekamp, H. V. D. Kemp, M, Franzen, D. Carrington, G. J. Schoone, G. J. J. M Van Eys, C. O. R. Everard, R. A. Hartskeel, and W. J. Terpstra, J. Gen. Microbiol. 139:1691-1700, 1993) have been fou nd to produce complex serovar-specific patterns under low-stringency P CR conditions. Such patterns obtained by low-stringency PCR, which mai ntain the specific band as an internal control, offer an approach to t he standardized identification of Leptospira serovars in clinical labo ratories.