A multiplex PCR for detection of Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydophila pneumoniae, Legionella pneumophila, and Bordetella pertussis in clinical specimens.

A multiplex PCR was developed that is capable of detecting four of the most important bacterial agents of atypical pneumonia, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydophila pneumoniae, Legionella pneumophila, and Bordetella pertussis in uncultured patient specimens. These organisms cause similar symptomologies and are often not diagnosed because they are difficult to identify with classical methods such as culture and serology. Given this, the overall impact of these pathogens on public health may be grossly underestimated. The molecular test presented here provides a simple method for identification of four common, yet diagnostically challenging, pathogens.