Description:
This invention relates to detecting
Histoplasma capsulatum by PCR using oligonucleotide probes specific for the fungus. Histoplasmosis is a mycotic infection of varying severity, usually localized in the lungs. Caused by
H. capsulatum, infections are usually symptomatic but can develop into chronic disease, especially in immunocompromised individuals.
Test samples may originate from the environment (soil, for example), where
H. capsulatum spores are found or from clinical samples obtained from patients. Furthermore, the invention also provides for methods that detect the presence of
H. capsulatum in a sample using a nested, or two-stage, PCR assay.