title: Multiplex Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction Assays for Simultaneous Detection of Vibrio cholerae, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and Vibrio vulnificus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method was developed for the identification of three Vibrio species: Vibrio cholerae, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and Vibrio vulnificus.
  
  
  METHODS
  Specific primers and probes targeting the hlyA, tlh, and vvhA genes were selected and used for multiplex real-time PCR to confirm the identification of V. cholerae, V. parahaemolyticus, and V. vulnificus, respectively. This method was applied to screen Vibrio species from environmental samples and combining it with a culture-based method, its effectiveness was evaluated in comparison with culture-based methods alone.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Specific PCR fragments were obtained from isolates belonging to the target species, indicating a high specificity of this multiplex real-time PCR. No cross-reactivity with the assay was observed between the tested bacteria. The sensitivity of the multiplex real-time PCR was found to have a lower limit of 10(4) colony-forming units/reaction for all three Vibrio species. The combination strategy raised the isolation ratio of all three Vibrio species 1.26- to 2.75-fold.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This assay provides a rapid, sensitive, and specific technique to detect these three Vibrio species in the environment.
authors.affiliation: Division of Enteric Bacterial Infections, Korea National Institute of Health, Osong, Korea.
authors.forename: Jie Yeun
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Semi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jeon
authors.forename: Jun Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Misun
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Seonghan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
keywords: TaqMan probe multiplex real-time PCR; Vibrio cholerae; Vibrio parahaemolyticus; Vibrio vulnificus