Streptococcus pneumoniae detection in blood

Abstract

A set of primers is for amplifying and detecting a S. pneumoniae ribonucleic acid in a sample. The set of primers can be included in a kit, which also includes a nucleic acid probe that includes a fluorophore and a dark quencher or acceptor dye.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A set of primers for the amplification of a  S. pneumoniae  ribonucleic acid comprising:
 one or more forward primers consisting essentially of the nucleic acid sequence set forth as SEQ ID NO: 1 or SEQ ID NO: 3; and   one or more reverse primers consisting essentially of the nucleic acid sequence set forth as SEQ ID NO: 2 or SEQ ID NO: 4,   wherein the set of primers is capable of hybridizing to and directing the amplification of the  S. pneumoniae  ribonucleic acid.   
     
     
         2 . A kit for detecting a  S. pneumoniae  ribonucleic acid in a sample, comprising:
 a probe which nucleic acid sequence consists of X-SEQ ID NO:10-Y or X-SEQ ID NO:11-Y, wherein X is a fluorophore, and wherein Y is a dark quencher or acceptor dye,   a set of primers comprising one or more forward primers consisting essentially of the nucleic acid sequence set forth as SEQ ID NO: 1 or SEQ ID NO: 3 and one or more reverse primers consisting essentially of the nucleic acid sequence set forth as SEQ ID NO: 2 or SEQ ID NO: 4,   wherein the set of primers is capable of hybridizing to and directing the amplification of the  S. pneumoniae  ribonucleic acid.