COMPARISON OF 16S rRNA-PCR-RFLP, LipL32-PCR AND OmpL1-PCR METHODS IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF LEPTOSPIROSIS

SUMMARY Leptospirosis is still one of the most important health problems in developing countries located in humid tropical and subtropical regions. Human infections are generally caused by exposure to water, soil or food contaminated with the urine of infected wild and domestic animals such as rodents and dogs. The clinical course of leptospirosis is variable and may be difficult to distinguish from many other infectious diseases. The dark-field microscopy (DFM), serology and nucleic acid amplification techniques are used to diagnose leptospirosis, however, a distinctive standard reference me...