Promising Nucleic Acid Lateral Flow Assay Plus PCR for Shiga Toxin–Producing Escherichia coli

2015 ◽  
Vol 78 (8) ◽  
pp. 1560-1568 ◽  
Author(s):  
YOSHITAKA TERAO ◽  
KANA TAKESHITA ◽  
YASUTAKA NISHIYAMA ◽  
NAOKI MORISHITA ◽  
TAKASHI MATSUMOTO ◽  
...  

Shiga toxin (Stx)–producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is a frequent cause of foodborne infections, and methods for rapid and reliable detection of STEC are needed. A nucleic acid lateral flow assay (NALFA) plus PCR was evaluated for detecting STEC after enrichment. When cell suspensions of 45 STEC strains, 14 non-STEC strains, and 13 non–E. coli strains were tested with the NALFA plus PCR, all of the STEC strains yielded positive results, and all of the non-STEC and non–E. coli strains yielded negative results. The lower detection limit for the STEC strains ranged from 0.1 to 1 pg of genomic DNA (about 20 to 200 CFU) per test, and the NALFA plus PCR was able to detect Stx1- and Stx2-producing E. coli strains with similar sensitivities. The ability of the NALFA plus PCR to detect STEC in enrichment cultures of radish sprouts, tomato, raw ground beef, and beef liver inoculated with 10-fold serially diluted STEC cultures was comparable to that of a real-time PCR assay (at a level of 100 to 100,000 CFU/ml in enrichment culture). The bacterial inoculation test in raw ground beef revealed that the lower detection limit of the NALFA plus PCR was also comparable to that obtained with a real-time PCR assay that followed the U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines. Although further evaluation is required, these results suggest that the NALFA plus PCR is a specific and sensitive method for detecting STEC in a food manufacturing plant.

2015 ◽  
Vol 53 (7) ◽  
pp. 2148-2153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuan Qin ◽  
Eileen J. Klein ◽  
Emmanouil Galanakis ◽  
Anita A. Thomas ◽  
Jennifer R. Stapp ◽  
...  

Timely accurate diagnosis of Shiga toxin-producingEscherichia coli(STEC) infections is important. We evaluated a laboratory-developed real-time PCR (LD-PCR) assay targetingstx1,stx2, andrfbEO157with 2,386 qualifying stool samples submitted to the microbiology laboratory of a tertiary care pediatric center between July 2011 and December 2013. Broth cultures of PCR-positive samples were tested for Shiga toxins by enzyme immunoassay (EIA) (ImmunoCard STAT! enterohemorrhagicE. coli[EHEC]; Meridian Bioscience) and cultured in attempts to recover both O157 and non-O157 STEC.E. coliO157 and non-O157 STEC were detected in 35 and 18 cases, respectively. Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) occurred in 12 patients (10 infected with STEC O157, one infected with STEC O125ac, and one with PCR evidence of STEC but no resulting isolate). Among the 59 PCR-positive STEC specimens from 53 patients, only 29 (54.7%) of the associated specimens were toxin positive by EIA. LD-PCR differentiated STEC O157 from non-O157 usingrfbEO157, and LD-PCR results prompted successful recovery ofE. coliO157 (n= 25) and non-O157 STEC (n= 8) isolates, although the primary cultures and toxin assays were frequently negative. A rapid “mega”-multiplex PCR (FilmArray gastrointestinal panel; BioFire Diagnostics) was used retrospectively, and results correlated with LD-PCR findings in 25 (89%) of the 28 sorbitol-MacConkey agar culture-negative STEC cases. These findings demonstrate that PCR is more sensitive than EIA and/or culture and distinguishes between O157 and non-O157 STEC in clinical samples and thatE. coliO157:H7 remains the predominant cause of HUS in our institution. PCR is highly recommended for rapid diagnosis of pediatric STEC infections.


2018 ◽  
Vol 81 (3) ◽  
pp. 490-496 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yangjin Jung ◽  
Christopher L. Rupert ◽  
Benjamin Chapman ◽  
Anna C. S. Porto Fett ◽  
John B. Luchansky

ABSTRACT In total, 115 marinade samples (58 fresh marinades and 57 spent marinades) were collected over 12 months from specialty retailers (four individual stores) near Raleigh, NC. These marinades were screened for total mesophilic aerobic plate count (M-APC), total psychrotrophic aerobic plate count (P-APC), and Enterobacteriaceae. These marinades were also screened for the seven regulated serogroups of Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli. Stores A and B used immersion to marinade raw beef cuts, whereas stores C-1 and C-2 used vacuum tumbling. In general, marinade temperatures at the stores ranged from 1.8 to 6.6°C, and beef cuts were marinated from a few minutes to up to 3 days. Regardless of the process used to marinade meat, levels of M-APC and P-APC in fresh marinades ranged from 3.4 to 4.7 and 1.4 to 1.8 log CFU/mL, respectively, whereas Enterobacteriaceae were not detected in any fresh marinades, even after enrichment. However, levels of M-APC, P-APC, and Enterobacteriaceae in spent marinades collected from stores C-1 and C-2 (ca. 3.6 to 7.1 log CFU/mL) were significantly higher (P < 0.05) compared with levels of these same types of bacteria enumerated from spent marinades collected at stores A and B (ca. ≤0.7 to 4.9 log CFU/mL). None of the 115 marinade samples tested positive for Shiga toxin–producing E. coli by using a BAX system real-time PCR assay. No significant (P > 0.05) association was observed between microbial levels (i.e., M-APC, P-APC, and Enterobacteriaceae) and the temperature or duration of the marination process. Levels of M-APC, P-APC, and Enterobacteriaceae in spent marinades were significantly affected by the marination method (P < 0.05), with levels, in general, being higher in marinades used for tumbling. Thus, retailers must continue to keep marinade solutions and meat at a safe temperature (i.e., ≤4°C) and to properly and frequently sanitize the equipment and environment in both the processing area and deli case.


2005 ◽  
Vol 68 (8) ◽  
pp. 1593-1599 ◽  
Author(s):  
MICHAEL A. GRANT

A new procedure for enrichment of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and other Shiga toxin–producing E. coli was compared to five standard methods: the British Public Health Laboratory Service, International Standard Method, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Canadian Health Products and Food Branch, and U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The new procedure was comparable to the standard methods in its ability to detect target cells inoculated into foods at approximately 1 CFU g−1. Comparisons were also made of the ability of the six enrichment procedures to detect E. coli O157:H7 against a large background of competitor microorganisms. In these experiments the new procedure yielded more target cells than the other five enrichments by two to three orders of magnitude as determined by enumeration on sorbitol MacConkey agar with tellurite and cefixime and Rainbow agar with tellurite and novobiocin and by verification of presumptive colonies by real-time PCR. For example, the population of enterohemorrhagic E. coli strain 6341 recovered on sorbitol MacConkey agar with tellurite and cefixime after enrichment with the experimental method was 2.42 × 108 CFU ml−1 and 1.80 × 106 CFU ml−1 after enrichment with the Canadian Health Products and Food Branch method, the second most effective in this experiment. In addition, broth cultures resulting from each of the six enrichment procedures were used to prepare templates for real-time PCR detection of stx1/stx2. Resulting threshold cycle (Ct) values after the experimental enrichment were similar to positive control values, whereas the five standard methods produced delayed Ct values or were not detected.


2009 ◽  
Vol 58 (7) ◽  
pp. 905-911 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew W. Gilmour ◽  
Linda Chui ◽  
Theodore Chiu ◽  
Dobryan M. Tracz ◽  
Kathryn Hagedorn ◽  
...  

The isolation of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) other than serogroup O157 from clinical stool samples is problematic due to the lack of differential phenotypic characteristics from non-pathogenic E. coli. The development of molecular reagents capable of identifying both toxin and serogroup-specific genetic determinants holds promise for a more comprehensive characterization of stool samples and isolation of STEC strains. In this study, 876 stool samples from paediatric patients with gastroenteritis were screened for STEC using a cytotoxicity assay, commercial immunoassay and a conventional PCR targeting Shiga-toxin determinants. In addition, routine culture methods for isolating O157 STEC were also performed. The screening assays identified 45 stools presumptively containing STEC, and using non-differential culture techniques a total of 20 O157 and 22 non-O157 strains were isolated. These included STEC serotypes O157 : H7, O26 : H11, O121 : H19, O26 : NM, O103 : H2, O111 : NM, O115 : H18, O121 : NM, O145 : NM, O177 : NM and O5 : NM. Notably, multiple STEC serotypes were isolated from two clinical stool samples (yielding O157 : H7 and O26 : H11, or O157 : H7 and O103 : H2 isolates). These data were compared to molecular serogroup profiles determined directly from the stool enrichment cultures using a LUX real-time PCR assay targeting the O157 fimbrial gene lpfA, a microsphere suspension array targeting allelic variants of espZ and a gnd-based molecular O-antigen serogrouping method. The genetic profile of individual stool cultures indicated that the espZ microsphere array and lpfA real-time PCR assay could accurately predict the presence and provide preliminary typing for the STEC strains present in clinical samples. The gnd-based molecular serogrouping method provided additional corroborative evidence of serogroup identities. This toolbox of molecular methods provided robust detection capabilities for STEC in clinical stool samples, including co-infection of multiple serogroups.


2015 ◽  
Vol 98 (5) ◽  
pp. 1301-1314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Cloke ◽  
Erin Crowley ◽  
Patrick Bird ◽  
Ben Bastin ◽  
Jonathan Flannery ◽  
...  

Abstract The Thermo Scientific™ SureTect™ Escherichia coli O157:H7 Assay is a new real-time PCR assay which has been validated through the AOAC Research Institute (RI) Performance Tested MethodsSM program for raw beef and produce matrixes. This validation study specifically validated the assay with 375 g 1:4 and 1:5 ratios of raw ground beef and raw beef trim in comparison to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety Inspection Service, Microbiology Laboratory Guidebook (USDS-FSIS/MLG) reference method and 25 g bagged spinach and fresh apple juice at a ratio of 1:10, in comparison to the reference method detailed in the International Organization for Standardization 16654:2001 reference method. For raw beef matrixes, the validation of both 1:4 and 1:5 allows user flexibility with the enrichment protocol, although which of these two ratios chosen by the laboratory should be based on specific test requirements. All matrixes were analyzed by Thermo Fisher Scientific, Microbiology Division, Vantaa, Finland, and Q Laboratories Inc, Cincinnati, Ohio, in the method developer study. Two of the matrixes (raw ground beef at both 1:4 and 1:5 ratios) and bagged spinach were additionally analyzed in the AOAC-RI controlled independent laboratory study, which was conducted by Marshfield Food Safety, Marshfield, Wisconsin. Using probability of detection statistical analysis, no significant difference was demonstrated by the SureTect kit in comparison to the USDA FSIS reference method for raw beef matrixes, or with the ISO reference method for matrixes of bagged spinach and apple juice. Inclusivity and exclusivity testing was conducted with 58 E. coli O157:H7 and 54 non-E. coli O157:H7 isolates, respectively, which demonstrated that the SureTect assay was able to detect all isolates of E. coli O157:H7 analyzed. In addition, all but one of the nontarget isolates were correctly interpreted as negative by the SureTect Software. The single isolate giving a positive result was an E. coli O157:NM isolate. Nonmotile isolates of E. coli O157 have been demonstrated to still contain the H7 gene; therefore, this result is not unexpected. Robustness testing was conducted to evaluate the performance of the SureTect assay with specific deviations to the assay protocol, which were outside the recommended parameters and which are open to variation. This study demonstrated that the SureTect assay gave reliable performance. A final study to verify the shelf life of the product, under accelerated conditions was also conducted.


2013 ◽  
Vol 80 (3) ◽  
pp. 1177-1184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Delphine Bibbal ◽  
Estelle Loukiadis ◽  
Monique Kérourédan ◽  
Carine Peytavin de Garam ◽  
Franck Ferré ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTShiga toxin-producingEscherichia coli(STEC) strains belonging to serotypes O157:H7, O26:H11, O103:H2, O111:H8, and O145:H28 are known to be associated with particular subtypes of the intimin gene (eae), namely, γ1, β1, ε, θ, and γ1, respectively. This study aimed at evaluating the usefulness of their detection for the specific detection of these five main pathogenic STEC serotypes in cattle feces. Using real-time PCR assays, 58.7% of 150 fecal samples were found positive for at least one of the four targetedeaesubtypes. The simultaneous presence ofstx,eae, and one of the five O group markers was found in 58.0% of the samples, and the five targetedstxpluseaeplus O genetic combinations were detected 143 times. However, taking into consideration the association betweeneaesubtypes and O group markers, the resultingstxpluseaesubtype plus O combinations were detected only 46 times. The 46 isolation assays performed allowed recovery of 22E. colistrains belonging to one of the five targeted STEC serogroups. In contrast, only 2 of 39 isolation assays performed on samples that were positive forstx,eaeand an O group marker, but that were negative for the correspondingeaesubtype, were successful. Characterization of the 24E. coliisolates showed that 6 were STEC, including 1 O157:H7, 3 O26:H11, and 2 O145:H28. The remaining 18 strains corresponded to atypical enteropathogenicE. coli(aEPEC). Finally, the more discriminatingeaesubtype-based PCR strategy described here may be helpful for the specific screening of the five major STEC in cattle feces.


2004 ◽  
Vol 50 (12) ◽  
pp. 1007-1014 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Mark Ibekwe ◽  
Pamela M Watt ◽  
Peter J Shouse ◽  
Catherine M Grieve

One of the most common vehicles by which Escherichia coli O157:H7 may be introduced into crops is contaminated irrigation water. Water contamination is becoming more common in rural areas of the United States as a result of large animal operations, and up to 40% of tested drinking-water wells are contaminated with E. coli. In this study, 2 contrasting soil samples were inoculated with E. coli O157:H7 expressing green fluorescent protein through irrigation water. Real-time PCR and culture methods were used to quantify the fate of this pathogen in phyllosphere (leaf surface), rhizosphere (volume of soil tightly held by plant roots), and non-rhizosphere soils. A real-time PCR assay was designed with the eae gene of E. coli O157:H7. The probe was incorporated into real-time PCR containing DNA extracted from the phyllosphere, rhizosphere, and non-rhizosphere soils. The detection limit for E. coli O157:H7 quantification by real-time PCR was 1.2 × 103in the rhizosphere, phyllosphere, and non-rhizosphere samples. E. coli O157:H7 concentrations were higher in the rhizosphere than in the non-rhizosphere soils and leaf surfaces, and persisted longer in clay soil. The persistence of E. coli O157:H7 in phyllosphere, rhizosphere, and non-rhizosphere soils over 45 days may play a significant part in the recontamination cycle of produce in the environment. Therefore, the rapidity of the real-time PCR assay may be a useful tool for quantification and monitoring of E. coli O157:H7 in irrigation water and on contaminated fresh produce.Key words: real-time PCR, Escherichia coli O157:H7, irrigation, survival, quantification.


2012 ◽  
Vol 78 (15) ◽  
pp. 5297-5304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Baoguang Li ◽  
Jin-Qiang Chen

ABSTRACTThe goal of this study was to develop a sensitive, specific, and accurate method for the selective detection of viableEscherichia coliO157:H7 cells in foods. A unique open reading frame (ORF), Z3276, was identified as a specific genetic marker for the detection ofE. coliO157:H7. We developed a real-time PCR assay with primers and probe targeting ORF Z3276 and confirmed that this assay was sensitive and specific forE. coliO157:H7 strains (n= 298). Using this assay, we can detect amounts of genomic DNA ofE. coliO157:H7 as low as a few CFU equivalents. Moreover, we have developed a new propidium monoazide (PMA)–real-time PCR protocol that allows for the clear differentiation of viable from dead cells. In addition, the protocol was adapted to a 96-well plate format for easy and consistent handling of a large number of samples. Amplification of DNA from PMA-treated dead cells was almost completely inhibited, in contrast to the virtually unaffected amplification of DNA from PMA-treated viable cells. With beef spiked simultaneously with 8 × 107dead cells/g and 80 CFU viable cells/g, we were able to selectively detect viableE. coliO157:H7 cells with an 8-h enrichment. In conclusion, this PMA–real-time PCR assay offers a sensitive and specific means to selectively detect viableE. coliO157:H7 cells in spiked beef. It also has the potential for high-throughput selective detection of viableE. coliO157:H7 cells in other food matrices and, thus, will have an impact on the accurate microbiological and epidemiological monitoring of food safety and environmental sources.


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