Evidence that the gonococcal porA pseudogene is present in a broad range of Neisseria gonorrhoeae strains; suitability as a diagnostic target.

Aims: The primary aim of the study was to determine if the gonococcal porA pseudogene is a stable sequence target for the detection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae by PCR.

Methods: A total of 240 gonococcal strains from various geographic locations were tested by porA pseudogene PCR. In addition, porA pseudogene PCR positivity rates were compared with established gonococcal assays in three Australian states.

Detection and differentiation of herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 by a duplex LightCycler PCR that incorporates an internal control PCR reaction.

Background: In recent years polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has proven to be a highly sensitive and specific method for the diagnosis of herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections. The advent of real-time HSV PCR protocols now enables rapid result turnaround times with minimal hands-on time.

Objectives: In this study, we developed a real-time duplex PCR assay (HSVgD-dPCR) comprising of HSV and internal control PCR reactions.