title: Influence of swab material on the detection of Mycoplasma gallisepticum and Mycoplasma synoviae by real-time PCR.
abstract: Recent reports have shown an increased recovery of cells from flocked nylon swabs which may improve the specimen quality and the real sensitivity of diagnostic tests in a clinical setting. In this study, the detection of Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) and M. synoviae (MS), using dry swabs of different materials (nylon flocked, cotton, and polyester), was investigated using real-time TaqMan PCR protocols. Different types of samples, including dilutions of pure broth cultures of MG and MS as well as swabs from tracheas of experimentally infected chickens and field cases of infection, were analyzed. There were no statistical differences in real-time PCR results among the different swab types (P < 0.05), indicating that this is not likely to be a significant factor in MG and MS detection by this method.
authors.affiliation: Poultry Diagnostic and Research Center, Department of Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA. naolaf@uga.edu
authors.forename: Naola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ferguson-Noel
authors.forename: Victoria A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Laibinis
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Farrar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens; D032561:Cotton Fiber; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D009175:Mycoplasma Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D045686:Mycoplasma gallisepticum / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D045805:Mycoplasma synoviae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009757:Nylons; D011091:Polyesters; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods* / Q000662:veterinary; D014132:Trachea / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D009757:Nylons; D011091:Polyesters