Reaction mixtures for diagnosing bacterial vaginosis

A reaction mixture for specific detection of an Eggerthella target nucleic acid and a Prevotella target nucleic acid in the presence of other nucleic acids that may be in a sample, the reaction mixture comprising:

• an Eggerthella-specific oligonucleotide that specifically hybridizes to a target sequence within a target nucleic acid of an Eggerthella species characterized by the presence of a 16S rRNA gene having a nucleobase sequence that is at least 98% identical to the sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:1, but does not specifically hybridize to a sequence within a nucleic acid from other Eggerthella species, wherein the Eggerthella-specific oligonucleotide comprises a 3′ portion that specifically hybridizes to the target sequence within the Eggerthella target nucleic acid and a 5′ portion that does not specifically hybridize to the Eggerthella target nucleic acid, wherein the 3′ portion of the Eggerthella-specific oligonucleotide is a target-hybridizing sequence consisting of the sequence shown in residues 11-27 of SEQ ID NO:4, and
• a Prevotella-specific oligonucleotide that specifically hybridizes to a target sequence within a target nucleic acid of P. amnii, P. disiens, and P. bivia, but does not specifically hybridize to a sequence within a nucleic acid from other Prevotella species, wherein the Prevotella-specific oligonucleotide comprises a 3′ portion that specifically hybridizes to the target sequence within the Prevotella target nucleic acid and a 5′ portion that does not specifically hybridize to the Prevotella target nucleic acid, wherein the 3′ portion of the Prevotella-specific oligonucleotide is a target-hybridizing sequence consisting of the sequence shown in residues 11-25 of SEQ ID NO:7,
• optionally wherein the reaction mixture further comprises a Lactobacillus-specific oligonucleotide that specifically hybridizes to a target sequence within a target nucleic acid of Lactobacillus species, but does not specifically hybridize to a sequence within a nucleic acid from L. iners, wherein the Lactobacillus-specific oligonucleotide comprises a 3′ portion that specifically hybridizes to the target sequence within the Lactobacillus target nucleic acid and a 5′ portion that does not specifically hybridize to the Lactobacillus target nucleic acid.