MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF FLAB FOR LEPTOSPIRA IDENTIFICATION.

PCR amplification of the nearly full-length of virulence flagellin gene (flaB) was employed for rapid identification of Leptospira spp and of Leptospira-specific 16S rDNA (rrs) for differentiation from other bacteria. This approach distinguished pathogenic from non-pathogenic Leptospira strains, and the generation of restriction fragment length polymorphism profiles using a combination of restriction endonucleases allowed identification of pathogenic Leptospira species. PCR-based identification of Leptospira flaB provides an accurate and rapid tool for identification of leptospires and can be used as a means for rapidly identifying animal reservoirs responsible for leptospirosis outbreaks. Furthermore, these techniques could be applied to clinical diagnosis without the need for leptospiral isolation.