Detection of Salmonella paratyphi A in Blood Specimens by Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction Technique

Abstract

This study was carried out in Khartoum state during the period between March 2007_ March 2008 to detect the presence of S. pratyphi A in patients with enteric fever. Forty-six blood specimens were collected from patients attended tow three hospitals: Khartoum Teaching Hospital, 26 (56.5%), Omdurman Teaching Hospitals, 12(26.1%) and Gaffer Ibnouf Specialized Hospital 8 (17.4%). S. pratyphi A DNA was extracted directly from each blood specimens using phenol - chloroform technique. Real time PCR technique was adopted to detect presence of S. pratyphi A The result revealed that only 2 (4.3%) specimens were positive and 44 (95.7%) were negative. The study concluded that the real time PCR technique facilitates detection of S. pratyphi A in blood of patients with without bacteriological culture.