Application of duplex-PCR in rapid and reliable detection of toxigenic Vibrio cholerae in water samples in Thailand.

Toxigenic Vibrio cholerae, the cause of cholera, is a native flora of the aquatic environment which is transmitted through drinking water and still remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in many developing countries including Thailand. The culture method (CM), which is routinely used for assessing water quality, has not proven as efficient as molecular methods because the notorious pathogen survives in water mostly in a non-culturable state. We employed duplex-polymerase chain reaction (duplex-PCR) for detection of tcpA and ctxA genes in toxigenic V.