SCREENING METHOD FOR THE DETECTION OF CLOSTRIDIUM DIFFICILE

摘要

The invention concerns a screening method for the detection of Clostridium difficile in a sample, wherein said method comprises the detection of conserved target regions in the Clostridium genome through the binding of at least one oligonucleotide probe to said target site.

主权项

1. A diagnostic method for the detection of C. difficile in a sample wherein said C. difficile comprises a nucleic acid target region having the following sequence:I)(SEQ ID NO: 1)Tcaagactctattatagtaagtgcaaatcaatatgaagt;which method comprises exposing said sample to at least one oligonucleotide probe selected from the group consisting of:
a) an oligonucleotide probe that is complementary to at least a part of said target region; b) an oligonucleotide probe that is complementary to at least a part of a degenerate version of said target regions; and c) an oligonucleotide probe that is at least 80% homologous to the oligonucleotides in a) or b); and detecting the binding of said at least one oligonucleotide probe to said target region and, where binding occurs, concluding that C. difficile is present in said sample.