Detection of Francisella tularensis in blood by polymerase chain reaction.
We developed a polymerase chain reaction-based assay for Francisella tularensis which we evaluated by using spiked blood samples and experimentally infected mice. The assay detected both type A and type B F. tularensis at levels equivalent to one CFU/microliter of spiked blood. Results from polymerase chain reaction-based assay of limiting dilutions of blood from mice infected with the live vaccine strain agreed closely with results from blood culture.
Long
G W
GW
Center for Immunization Research, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21205.
Oprandy
J J
JJ
Narayanan
R B
RB
Fortier
A H
AH
Porter
K R
KR
Nacy
C A
CA
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D005604:Francisella tularensis / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms
D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes