Polymerase Chain Reaction

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA probe technology is a very significant tool in rapid diagnosis of infectious diseases. By these methods one can identify the disease causing organisms with great accuracy within hours, thus saving valuable time and energy.

Polymerase Chain Reaction amplifies the number of copies of a particular organism. These are then identified with the help of specific probes. PCR-DNA probe technology is therefore highly sensitive and specific. It can detect as less as one single organsim in the entire specimen. The test can be done on any specimen: Tissue biopsy, blood, urine, body fliuds and secretions etc.

Already, PCR tests at Nova have been used by many doctors of the area and it has helped in the early diagnosis of tuberculosis and typhoid fever.

PCR technique is now available to identify Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Salmonella typhi, the two commonest diseases here as well as enteroinvasive E. coli. With the recent outbreak of Leptospirosis in nearby areas, now the technology has been extended to Leptospira. Later on, we hope to extend this to other organisms and perform tuberculosis drug sensitivity study by this same technique.