Duplex TaqMan Hydrolysis Probe-Based Molecular Assay for Simultaneous Detection and Differentiation of and spp. DNA.

Melioidosis and leptospirosis, caused by two different bacteria, and spp are potentially fatal infections that share a very similar spectrum of clinical features and cause significant mortality and morbidity in humans and livestock. Early detection is important for better clinical consequences. To our knowledge, there is no diagnostic tool available to simultaneously detect and differentiate melioidosis and leptospirosis in humans and animals. In this study, we described a duplex TaqMan probe-based qPCR for the detection of and spp. DNA. The performance of the assay was evaluated on 20 isolates, 23 strains, and 39 other microorganisms, as well as two sets of serially diluted reference strains. The duplex qPCR assay was able to detect 0.02 pg (~ 4 copies) spp. DNA and 0.2 pg (~ 25.6 copies) DNA. No undesired amplification was observed in other microorganisms. In conclusion, the duplex qPCR assay was sensitive and specific for the detection of & spp. DNA and is suitable for further analytical and clinical evaluation.