The technique of arbitrarily primed polymerase chain reaction (AP-PCR) or random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) fingerprinting was used for differentiation of leptospira. The assay allowed the rapid differentiation of standard: L.hardjo, L.pomona and L.canicola examined reference strains. In another experiment, this PCR assay successfully detected leptospiral DNA in L.hardjo-seeded bovine urine. The specificity of leptospiral DNA amplification from urine samples was confirmed by southern blot hybirdization using a nonradioactive labeled DNA probe. The data suggested that AP-PCR may be used for rapid differentiation and typing of leptospiral
isolates, and a valuable test for specific detection of leptospira in bovine field samples.