The Bacillus Cahnette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine strain can be differentiated from other members of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex by conventional methods but it is time consuming. Therefore, the ability to rapidly and specifically identify BCG is clinically important. In this paper authors describe multiplex PCR (polymerace chain reaction) based methods for rapid identification of Mycobacterium bovis BCG infection. A characteristic of BCG strains is deletion of the genomic region RDl. Detection of this form is the basis of a multiplex PCR assay to distinguish between Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB) and non-pathogenic Mycobacterium bovis BCG. PCR conditions esere optimised by testing 12 known strains. A multiplex PCR assay is used in the differential diagnosis of complications after BCG vaccination in newborns from 1999. Authors tested 18 clinical samples from 1999 till July 2001. Thus, the assay affords a rapid, simple and effective method for the discrimination of the BCG vaccine strain and other members of the M. tuberculosis complex.

        Key words: Mycobacterium bovis BCG, Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, multiplex PCR, postvaccination complications