DETECTING SERPULINA HYODYSENTERIAE- SPECIFIC DNA BY CHEMILUMINESCENCE

SWINE DYSENTERY (SD) HAS BEEN ESTIMATED TO COST SWINE PRODUCERS IN EXCESS OF $180 MILLION ANNUALLY, AND IS QUARANTINABLE IN MOST STATES. CONFIRMATION OF THE DISEASE IS BASED ON THE DETETION OF THE BACTERIA, SERPULINA HYODYSENTERIAE, FROM INFECTED PIGS. AN ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS OF SD CURRENTLY INCLUDES LABOR-INTENSIVE AND TIME CONSUMING PROCEDURES WHICH DO NOT ALWAYS RESULT IN THE DETECTION AND/OR ISOLATION OF THE CAUSATIVE AGENT. IN ADDITION, MANY VETERINARY DIAGNOSTIC LABORATORIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE NOT SET-UP TO PERFORM ANAEROBIC BACTERIOLOGY, AND CONSEQUENTLY, MUST SEND SAMPLES TO MORE EXPERIENCED LABORATORIES FOR DIAGNOSIS. SINCE THERE ARE VERY FEW LABORATORIES IN THE U.S. WITH EXPERIENCE ISOLATING AND IDENTIFYING S. HYODYSENTERIAE FROM INFECTED PIGS, SAMPLES MAY NEED TO BE SENT GREAT DISTANCES AND RESULTS MAY NOT BE OBTAINED FOR MANY DAYS OR EVEN WEEKS. THE NEED FOR EASILY INTERPRETED, RAPID, AND SENSITIVE DIAGNOSTIC TESTS, WHICH REQUIRE NO SPECIALIZED LABORATORY EQUIPMENT, FOR SWINE DYSENTERY IS GREAT. WE PROPOSE THE DEVELOPMENT F A NUCLEIC ACID PROBE TEST, WHICH INCLUDES AN ENZYMATIC DETECTION SYSTEM, THAT COULD BE USED IN VIRTUALLY ANY DIAGNOSTIC SETTING FOR A FAST SENSITIVE, AND ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS OF THIS IMPORTANT DISEASE.