Taylorellaequigenitalis(T.equigenitalis)isthecausativeagentofthecommunicablevenerealdiseasecontagiousequinemetritis(CEM).Installions,therearenoclinicalsymptomsoftheinfection,yetthebacteriacanbepresentinpenile/preputialsmegmaandassuchmaybetransmittedthroughnaturalmatingorartificialinsemination;aprincipalsourceofinfectionasastallionwillmatewithnumerousmaresandinfectioncanlastformonthsandevenyearsinsomecases.Incontrast,clinicalsymptomsinmaresvariesfromnothingtovaginaldischargeassociatedwithendometritis,cervicitis,vaginitisandevenabortionofunbornoffspring.AvaccinationagainstCEM/T.equigenitalisisnotcurrentlyavailable.|TheCEMorganism(CEMO)canspreadrapidlyleADIngtoinfectionofepidemicproportions,thereforeitisofvitalimportancetoemployaquick,accuratetestingmethodtohelppreventoccurrenceandspreadofCEM.TraditionalmicroBIOLOGicalmethodscanbeemployedtodeterminethepresenceoftheCEMOhoweverT.equigenitalisisaslowgrowing,microaerophilicbacteriawhichgenerallytakes3-6daytogrow;negativereportsshouldonlybecertifiedafter7daysofincubationwithnogrowth.Inaddition,traditionalmicrobiologycanonlydetectviablebacteria,yetT.equigenitalismayhavediedduringtransittothelaboratoryorexposuretosunlightorinappropriatetemperaturesthusgivingwaytothepossibilityofgeneratingfalsenegativeresults.|Thereisaneedwithintheequineindustryfrombothalegislativeanddutyofcarestandpointtodetectcertainpathogenicspeciesquicklyandaccurately.Traditionalculturemethodsareslow,timeconsumingandoftennon-specific.Consequently,theseshortfallshavebeenovercomebyutilizingreal-timequantitativePolymeraseChainReaction(qPCR).UntilrecentlyonlytwoqPCRassayshavebeendevelopedandapprovedforusebytheHorseraceBettingLevyBoard(HBLB):onewhichidentifiesT.equigenitalisDNAonlyandtheotheridentifyingDNAfromT.equigenitalisalongwiththeothermicroorganismsKlebsiellapneumonia(K.pneumonia)andPseudomonasaeruginosa(P.aeruginosa)designedasamultiplex.