Real-time polymerase chain reaction species specific for Neisseria Gonorrhoeae

Abstract

Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease caused by bacteria called gonococci. The disease was described in ancient times, but until the late nineteenth century it was mixed up with syphilis. Eventually microscopy could differ between the organisms and give a reliable diagnosis. Human is the only known reservoir for gonorrhea. It is transferred during all acts of sexual activity, and an infection cause characteristic symptoms if established. Reliable diagnostic tools are important not only because gonorrhea is a severe disease but also because the means of spreading will always have a negative social impact on people given the diagnosis. Gonococci are fastidious bacteria, and survive poorly outside its human host. Thus diagnostic methods have been challenged by the problem of retrieving living bacteria for phenotypic tests. There have been several attempts to identify gonococci by specific characteristic in its genome, but these have been less successful. Due to its fluctuating genome it has been difficult to find a specific target for the gonococci. Here I present an attempt to establish a reliable diagnostic tool for reproducible detection and specific identification of gonococci in samples from different body sites.