A method to identify and differentiate aspergillus at the species level from other pathogenic opportunistic funghi was developed using the 18S and 28S rRNA genes for primer binding sites. The adjacent internal trancriped spacer (ITS) region, ITS-1 and ITS-2, of referenced strains is amplified and sequenced. Both ITS-1 and ITS-2 regions are needed for accurate identification of aspergillus at the species level. The ITS regions are located between the 18S and 28S rRNA genes.
The aspergillus PCR kit uses the ITS-2 region and 28S rDNA to detect the virus. Because these regions are so specific, the PCR is an accurate test to detect aspergillus.