An application of duplex PCR for detection of Leptospira spp. and Orientia tsutsugamushi from wild rodents.

Duplex PCR is useful for detecting two different agents from the same specimen. Kidney specimens are the most suitable for detection of Leptospira spp. For Orientia tsutsugamushi, blood clots, spleen, and liver specimens are considered the most suitable. For this study, kidney tissues were the only specimens obtainable for the PCR. Blood clots, spleen, and liver specimens were not available. However, by using the PCR for scrub typhus, O. tsutsugamushi was detected in the kidney of one rodent. This result shows that kidney specimens can be used to detect O. tsutsugamushi using PCR. Further studies will be necessary in order to be able to compare the detection ratio of O. tsutsugamushi using kidney specimens and blood clots, spleen, and liver specimens.