Use of a DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) Probe to Detect 'Salmonella typhi' in the Blood of Patients with Typhoid Fever

摘要

Diagnosis of typhoid fever in a patient and assessment of the impact of typhoid fever in the community require accurate identification of Salmonella typhi in clinical specimens. DNA probes offer a new approach to the detection and identification of S. typhi in the blood of typhoid patients. We have constructed a Vi antigen-specific DNA probe and demonstrated its specificity and sensitivity with freshly isolated bacteria from febrile patients in Peru and in Indonesia. The current study was undertaken to determine whether the Vi probe could detect S. typhi directly in clinical specimens. The Vi DNA probe did not hybridize with any of the spots of blood from these three patients, further demonstrating the specificity of the Vi probe for the detection of S. typhi. Keyword: Reprints. (kt)