1887

Abstract

Real-time PCR based on the capsule transfer gene () is a significant aid in the diagnosis of meningococcal infection but fails to detect a high proportion (60 %) of non-groupable strains associated with nasopharyngeal carriage. This study aimed to design a novel real-time (TaqMan) PCR that would detect more strains of meningococci and be suitable for large-scale carriage studies. Primer and probe sequences were based on the meningococcal gene and designed specifically to exclude the highly related pseudogene in . The specificity of the assay was confirmed by testing strains of known to contain the pseudogene together with commensal strains of and . None of these was detected in the assay. strains representing a wide range of serogroups together with non-groupable strains isolated from the nasopharynx were tested by assay and the novel -based TaqMan PCR. All carriage strains were detected by the -based assay including four that gave weak or no reaction with the assay. Comparison of and assays on 71 throat swabs obtained from university students showed that the assay detected meningococcal DNA in all samples that were positive plus three that were negative but culture positive. This novel -based TaqMan assay provides a highly specific method for detecting meningococcal DNA that is more sensitive than the assay for detecting meningococcal carriage and is particularly suitable for carriage studies where non-groupable strains and other are present.

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2005-05-01
2024-03-28
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