Authors : I.M. El Jalii , A. R. Bahaman and A.S. Ali
Abstract: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was evaluated as a tool for diagnosis of human leptospirosis. Human urine samples were seeded with different concentrations of leptospiral cells. Using specific primers, amplified DNA fragments on an agarose gel from urine samples contained as few as 10 hardjo cells per ml urine were obtained. The molecular size of bands produced from all leptospiral concentrations was 600 bp. Urine samples with as little as 10 hardjo cells per ml of urine were positive on PCR indicating high sensitivity of the test. Detection of small number of leptospiral cells in urine by PCR was an advantage over culture and serology.
I.M. El Jalii , A. R. Bahaman and A.S. Ali , 2004. Polymerase Chain Reaction for the Diagnosis of Human Leptospirosis . Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, 3: 202-204.