USE OF RAPID, NONRADIOACTIVE DNA PROBES IN CULTURE CONFIRMATION TESTS TO DETECT STREPTOCOCCUS-AGALACTIAE, HAEMOPHILUS-INFLUENZAE, AND ENTEROCOCCUS SPP FROM PEDIATRIC-PATIENTS WITH SIGNIFICANT INFECTIONS

Acridinium ester-labeled, chemiluminescent DNA probe tests (Accuprobe; Gen-Probe, Inc.) for culture confirmation of Streptococcus agalactiae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Enterococcus spp. were compared with conventional identification techniques. The probe is a DNA oligomer that is complementary to the RNA of the target. The DNA-RNA hybrids are measured in a luminometer. The 40-min assay requires one reaction tube and the addition of three reagents. When two colonies were used to add a sample to the reaction tube, 325 of 327 isolates were detected by the probe. Isolates of 404 nonprobe target organisms did not hybridize with the probe.