Identification of pathogenic Leptospira by TaqMan probe in a LightCycler

The genus <i>Leptospira</i> is divided into two species of which <i>Leptospira interrogans</i> is an animal pathogen which causes infections in humans when in contact with body fluids of infected animals, whereas <i>Leptospira biflexa</i> is a nonpathogenic saprophyte. Leptospires are identified on the basis of serology and DNA–DNA hybridization techniques but alternative molecular typing methods based mainly on PCR have also been developed with some degree of success (1–16). Recently, non-gel electrophoresis-requiring, fluorophore probe-based rapid techniques for detecting and discriminating specific amplicons during PCR have been introduced (17–19). In the TaqMan probe, both donor and acceptor fluorophores are present on the same oligonucleotide that binds to a target site internal to the amplification primers..