Methods For Rapid Identification Of Pathogens In Humans And Animals

Abstract

The present invention provides methods of: identifying pathogens in biological samples from humans and animals, resolving a plurality of etiologic agents present in samples obtained from humans and animals, determining detailed genetic information about such pathogens or etiologic agents, and rapid detection and identification of bioagents from environmental, clinical or other samples.

1 .- 49 . (canceled) 
     
     
         50 . A method for identifying a bioagent, comprising:
 a) contacting a sample suspected of containing a bioagent with a plurality of primer pairs to generate one or more amplicons no more than about 30-250 nucleotides in length, wherein each of said primer pairs hybridize to conserved nucleic acid sequences flanking a variable sequence; wherein a first primer pair of said plurality of primer pairs generates an amplicon from a first bioagent but not a second bioagent, and a second primer pair of said plurality of primer pairs generates an amplicon from said second bioagent but not said first bioagent, wherein said first and second bioagents differ in genus;   b) determining the mass, base composition, or sequence of said one or more amplicons; and   c) identifying one or more bioagents in said sample by comparing the determined mass, base composition, or sequence to a database comprising predetermined masses, base compositions, or sequences from a plurality of known organisms.