Utility of real-time PCR for detection of Exserohilum rostratum in body and tissue fluids during the multistate outbreak of fungal meningitis and other infections.

ABSTRACT: Exserohilum rostratum was the major cause of the multistate outbreak of fungal meningitis linked to contaminated injections of methylprednisolone acetate produced by the New England Compounding Center. Previously, we developed a fungal DNA extraction procedure and broad-range and E. rostratum-specific PCR assays and confirmed the presence of fungal DNA in 28% of the case patients. Here, we report the development and validation of a TaqMan real-time PCR assay for the detection of E. rostratum in body fluids, which we used to confirm infections in 57 additional case patients, bringing the total number of case patients with PCR results positive for E. rostratum to 171 (37% of the 461 case patients with available specimens). Compared to fungal culture and the previous PCR assays, this real-tim

SUBMITTER: Gade L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4298529 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature