R. Borrow et al., SIAD PCR ELISA FOR CONFIRMATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF SEROGROUP-Y ANDSEROGROUP-W135 MENINGOCOCCAL INFECTIONS, FEMS microbiology letters, 159(2), 1998, pp. 209-214
Non-culture diagnosis and serogroup determination of meningococcal inf
ection is important in contact management where vaccination may be pos
sible. A serogroup B and C PCR ELISA assay for the non-culture diagnos
is and serogroup determination has proved invaluable for enhanced epid
emiological surveillance and contact management. A polymerase chain re
action assay, based on a restriction fragment length polymorphism in t
he meningococcal serogroup Y and W135 sialyltransferase (siaD) gene, w
as developed to enhance the range of non-culture diagnosis of meningoc
occal infection from clinical samples. The PCR assay was adapted to an
ELISA format incorporating hybridisation with serogroup-specific Y an
d W135 oligonucleotide probes. The serogroup-specific W135 and Y PCR E
LISA is a useful addition to currently available serogroup B and C ass
ay for non-culture diagnosis of meningococcal infection and outbreak i
nvestigation. (C) 1998 Federation of European Microbiological Societie
s. Published by Elsevier Science B.V.