Patent ID: 8067207

Claim:
A method of simultaneously assaying for the presence and identity or identities of more than one target bacterial or fungal species selected from the group consisting of Enterococcus faecium, Listeria monocytogenes, Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus agalactiae , and Candida albicans , and at least one target bacterial antibiotic resistance gene selected from the group consisting of bla tem , bla shv , bla rob , bla oxa , blaZ, aadB, aacC1, aacC2, aacC3, aac6′-IIa, aacA4, aad(6′), vanA, vanB, vanC, msrA, sarA, aac(6′) aph(2″), vat, vga, ermA, ermB, ermC, mecA, int and sul, in a sample comprising: simultaneously contacting the sample with a plurality of species-specific primer pairs, wherein each pair of said species-specific primer pairs specifically hybridizes to and amplifies nucleic acids from only one target bacterial or fungal species selected from the group consisting of Enterococcus faecium, Listeria monocFtogenes, Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus agalactiae , and Candida albicans ; and one or more antibiotic resistance gene primer pairs, wherein each pair of said one or more antibiotic resistance gene primer pairs specifically hybridizes to and amplifies only one antibiotic resistance gene selected from the group consisting of bla tem , bla shv , bla rob , bla oxa , blaZ, aadB, aacC1, aacC2, aacC3, aac6′-IIa, aacA4, aad(6′), vanA, vanB, vanC, msrA, satA, aac(6′)-aph(2″), vat, vga, ermA, ermB, ermC, mecA, int and sul; amplifying target nucleic acids from the sample under a single amplification protocol; and detecting various amplified products produced by the single amplification protocol, wherein the detecting step is adapted to differentiate said amplification products such that the presence and identity or identities of said more than one target bacterial or fungal species and said at least one target bacterial antibiotic resistance gene are simultaneously assayed.