We developed a rapid method of screening samples for APM DNA by using 2 sensitive and specifi c realtime PCR assays designed to target conserved NCLDV class I genes. With only 1 APM sequence published (NC_006450) (2), little is known of APM strain variation; therefore, use of assays that target different genes increases the likelihood that genetic variants of APM will not be missed. A suicide-nested PCR method for APM detection has been reported (3); however, the quicker turnaround time and lower risk for amplicon contamination makes the real-time PCR method more attractive for screening large numbers of samples. ACC TGA TCC ACA TCC CAT AAC TAA A  Reverse  Helicase  GGC CTC ATC AAC AAA TGG TTT A seroprevalence study of APM among Canadian patients with community-acquired pneumonia identifi ed APM antibodies in 9.7% of 376 patients compared with 2.3% of 511 healthy controls (3). However, seropositivity may refl ect exposure to APM antigen rather than active infection, and the potential for nonspecifi c cross-reactions with the serologic assays used may have infl ated the true prevalence of APM infection (6) . In a separate report, a laboratoryacquired APM infection was linked to acute pneumonia by seroconversion in a technician in Marseille, France, thus providing evidence that this virus can occasionally cause clinical disease (7) . However, using sensitive real-time PCR assays, we failed to detect APM DNA in 496 respiratory specimens from 9 epidemiologically varied pneumonia patient populations.