[Polymerase chain reaction for the diagnosis of tsutsugamushi disease]

A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using specific oligonucleotide primers and Taq polymerase was developed for the detection of Rickettsia tsutsugamushi, the causative agent of tsutsugamushi disease. Oligonucleotide primers were synthesized on the basis of DNA sequences encoding 58 kD antigen of R. tsutsugamushi. Specific DNA amplification of 358 bp and 109 bp DNA fragments were demonstrated using patient's blood. This PCR method would enable to make a rapid and sensitive diagnosis of tsutsugamushi disease.