A HIGHLY SENSITIVE AND FAST NONRADIOACTIVE METHOD FOR THE DETECTION OF POLYMERASE-CHAIN-REACTION PRODUCTS FROM SALMONELLA SEROVARS, SUCH ASSALMONELLA-TYPHI IN BLOOD SPECIMENS

A polymerase chain reaction based test was developed for the detection of Salmonella spp. in blood specimens. After amplification of a 389 b p-polymerase chain reaction product from the invA gene, a microtiter p late hybridization assay was performed. The protocol described allowed the detection of six to seven copies of the Salmonella typhi genome, as determined by serial dilutions of DNA from S. typhi. Eighteen blood specimens from artificially infected rats and 22 blood specimens from patients were analyzed to validate the method. Considering that the m ost frequent Salmonella serovar isolated from blood in case of bactere mia is S. typhi, the polymerase chain reaction-microtiter plate hybrid ization technique could be used as a novel, rapid diagnostic method fo r typhoid fever, particularly when standard culture assays are negativ e. (C) 1998 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Publishe d by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.