Real-Time PCR Detection of Haemophilus influenzae: Non-Typeable Strains

摘要

Increasing number of invasive cases due to non-typeable (NT) Haemophilus influenzae were reported in the province of Manitoba, Canada. (1) There is then an obvious need to expand the scope of our current PCR detection ofH. influenzae which focuses mainly on typeable strains due to the past domination of serotype b Haemophilius influenzae (Hib) (2) while there is no PCR detection scheme specific for its non-typeable counterpart. In addition, NT- H. influenzae, H. haemolyticus and H quentini are highly similar, including the presence of a common P6 outer membrane protein (3). The conventional PCR detection scheme for H. influenzae targets this P6 gene, which potentially can result in false positive reactions due to the fact that the old scheme cannot differentiate H.influenzae from H. haemolyticus and H, quentini. This presentation describes a new real-time (RT) PCR procedure for specific detection of NT H. influenzae.