Identification of substrains of BCG vaccine using multiplex PCR

Current methods for determining the identity of substrains of Mycobacterium bovis BCG (BCG) vaccine are labour intensive, or provide only limited subs train differentiation. In this paper we describe a multiplex PCR that disti nguishes between M. tuberculosis (TB) and M. bovis and the non-pathogenic B CG strain, and also subdivides the BCG vaccine substrains investigated into seven distinct fingerprints based on six target regions in the DNA. This t est is specific, rapid, reproducible and portable and is proposed as a nove l test for BCG vaccine control. It offers substantial advantages over the m ethods currently in use. Using this test we have characterised a number of commercial BCG vaccines. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved .