scholarly journals Comparison of Standard Culture Method and Real-time PCR Assay for Detection of Staphylococcus aureus in Processed and Unprocessed Foods

2010 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 410-418 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jae-Hoon Lee ◽  
Kwang-Young Song ◽  
Ji-Yeon Hyeon ◽  
In-Gyun Hwang ◽  
Hyo-Sun Kwak ◽  
...  
2000 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 324-331 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danbing Ke ◽  
Christian Ménard ◽  
François J Picard ◽  
Maurice Boissinot ◽  
Marc Ouellette ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Group B streptococci (GBS), or Streptococcus agalactiae, are the leading bacterial cause of meningitis and bacterial sepsis in newborns. Currently available rapid methods to detect GBS from clinical specimens are unsuitable for replacement of culture methods, mainly because of their lack of sensitivity. Methods: We have developed a PCR-based assay for the rapid detection of GBS. The cfb gene encoding the Christie-Atkins-Munch-Petersen (CAMP) factor was selected as the genetic target for the assay. The PCR primers were initially tested by a conventional PCR method followed by gel electrophoresis. The assay was then adapted for use with the LightCyclerTM. For this purpose, two fluorogenic adjacent hybridization probes complementary to the GBS-specific amplicon were designed and tested. In addition, a rapid sample-processing protocol was evaluated by colony-forming unit counting and PCR. A total of 15 vaginal samples were tested by both standard culture method and the two PCR assays. Results: The conventional PCR assay was specific because it amplified only GBS DNA among 125 bacterial and fungal species tested, and was able to detect all 162 GBS isolates from various geographical areas. This PCR assay allowed detection of as few as one genome copy of GBS. The real-time PCR assay was comparable to conventional PCR assay in terms of sensitivity and specificity, but it was more rapid, requiring only ∼30 min for amplification and computer-based data analysis. The presence of vaginal specimens had no detrimental effect on the sensitivity of the PCR with the sample preparation protocol used. All four GBS-positive samples identified by the standard culture method were detected by the two PCR assays. Conclusion: These assays provide promising tools for the rapid detection and identification of GBS.


2012 ◽  
Vol 75 (4) ◽  
pp. 743-747 ◽  
Author(s):  
BWALYA LUNGU ◽  
W. DOUGLAS WALTMAN ◽  
ROY D. BERGHAUS ◽  
CHARLES L. HOFACRE

Conventional culture methods have traditionally been considered the “gold standard” for the isolation and identification of foodborne bacterial pathogens. However, culture methods are labor-intensive and time-consuming. A Salmonella enterica serotype Enteritidis–specific real-time PCR assay that recently received interim approval by the National Poultry Improvement Plan for the detection of Salmonella Enteritidis was evaluated against a culture method that had also received interim National Poultry Improvement Plan approval for the analysis of environmental samples from integrated poultry houses. The method was validated with 422 field samples collected by either the boot sock or drag swab method. The samples were cultured by selective enrichment in tetrathionate broth followed by transfer onto a modified semisolid Rappaport-Vassiliadis medium and then plating onto brilliant green with novobiocin and xylose lysine brilliant Tergitol 4 plates. One-milliliter aliquots of the selective enrichment broths from each sample were collected for DNA extraction by the commercial PrepSEQ nucleic acid extraction assay and analysis by the Salmonella Enteritidis–specific real-time PCR assay. The real-time PCR assay detected no significant differences between the boot sock and drag swab samples. In contrast, the culture method detected a significantly higher number of positive samples from boot socks. The diagnostic sensitivity of the real-time PCR assay for the field samples was significantly higher than that of the culture method. The kappa value obtained was 0.46, indicating moderate agreement between the real-time PCR assay and the culture method. In addition, the real-time PCR method had a turnaround time of 2 days compared with 4 to 8 days for the culture method. The higher sensitivity as well as the reduction in time and labor makes this real-time PCR assay an excellent alternative to conventional culture methods for diagnostic purposes, surveillance, and research studies to improve food safety.


2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (7) ◽  
pp. 2137-2142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deirdre L. Church ◽  
Heather Baxter ◽  
Tracie Lloyd ◽  
Oscar Larios ◽  
Daniel B. Gregson

ABSTRACTLife-threatening infection in neonates due to group BStreptococcus(GBS) is preventable by screening of near-term pregnant women and treatment at delivery. A total of 295 vaginal-rectal swabs were collected from women attending antepartum clinics in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. GBS colonization was detected by the standard culture method (Strep B Carrot Broth subcultured to blood agar with a neomycin disk) and compared to recovery with Strep Group B Broth (Dalynn Biologicals) subcultured to StrepBSelectchromogenic medium (CM; Bio-Rad Laboratories) and the Fast-Track Diagnostics GBS real-time PCR (quantitative PCR [qPCR]) assay (Phoenix Airmid Biomedical Corp.) performed with broth-enriched samples and the Abbottm2000sp/m2000rt system. A total of 62/295 (21%) women were colonized with GBS; 58 (19.7%) cases were detected by standard culture, while CM and qPCR each found 61 (20.7%) cases. The qPCR and CM were similar in performance, with sensitivities, specificities, and positive and negative predictive values of 98.4 and 98.4%, 99.6 and 99.6%, 98.4 and 98.4%, and 99.6 and 99.6%, respectively, compared to routine culture. Both qPCR and CM would allow more rapid reporting of routine GBS screening results than standard culture. Although the cost per test was similar for standard culture and CM, the routine use of qPCR would cost approximately four times as much as culture-based detection. Laboratories worldwide should consider implementing one of the newer methods for primary GBS testing, depending on the cost limitations of different health care jurisdictions.


2007 ◽  
Vol 70 (5) ◽  
pp. 1080-1087 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. M. BOHAYCHUK ◽  
G. E. GENSLER ◽  
M. E. McFALL ◽  
R. K. KING ◽  
D. G. RENTER

Conventional culture methods have traditionally been considered the “gold standards” for the isolation and identification of foodborne pathogens. However, culture methods are labor-intensive and time-consuming. We have developed a real-time PCR assay for the detection of Salmonella in a variety of food and food-animal matrices. The real-time PCR assay incorporates both primers and hybridization probes based on the sequence of the Salmonella invA gene and uses fluorescent resonance energy transfer technology to ensure highly sensitive and specific results. This method correctly classified 51 laboratory isolates of Salmonella and 28 non-Salmonella strains. The method was also validated with a large number of field samples that consisted of porcine feces and cecal contents, pork carcasses, bovine feces and beef carcasses, poultry cecal contents and carcasses, equine feces, animal feeds, and various food products. The samples (3,388) were preenriched in buffered peptone water and then selectively enriched in tetrathionate and Rappaport-Vassiliadis broths. Aliquots of the selective enrichment broths were combined for DNA extraction and analysis by the real-time PCR assay. When compared with the culture method, the diagnostic sensitivity of the PCR assay for the various matrices ranged from 97.1 to 100.0%, and the diagnostic specificity ranged from 91.3 to 100.0%. Kappa values ranged from 0.87 to 1.00, indicating excellent agreement of the real-time PCR assay to the culture method. The reduction in time and labor makes this highly sensitive and specific real-time PCR assay an excellent alternative to conventional culture methods for surveillance and research studies to improve food safety.


2012 ◽  
Vol 50 (6) ◽  
pp. 2063-2065 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul O. Verhoeven ◽  
Florence Grattard ◽  
Anne Carricajo ◽  
Frédéric Lucht ◽  
Céline Cazorla ◽  
...  

2014 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
pp. 1259-1261 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. A. Pereira ◽  
G. B. Harnett ◽  
M. M. Hodge ◽  
J. A. Cattell ◽  
D. J. Speers

2003 ◽  
Vol 41 (7) ◽  
pp. 3246-3251 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Lapierre ◽  
A. Huletsky ◽  
V. Fortin ◽  
F. J. Picard ◽  
P. H. Roy ◽  
...  

2011 ◽  
Vol 60 (3) ◽  
pp. 323-328 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Danial ◽  
M. Noel ◽  
K. E. Templeton ◽  
F. Cameron ◽  
F. Mathewson ◽  
...  

A total of 1204 meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) screens (3340 individual swabs) were tested to evaluate a staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) real-time PCR. In total, 148 (12.3 %) of the screens were MRSA-positive, where 146 (12.1 %) were MRSA-positive by the SCCmec real-time PCR assay. In contrast, 128 (10.6 %) screens were MRSA-positive by culture. One hundred and twenty-six (10.5 %) of the screens were positive by both culture and PCR. Twenty of the 1204 screens (1.66 %) were negative by culture but positive by PCR; these samples were sequenced. In 14 of the cases, a homology search confirmed the sequence as SCCmec, indicating that these samples could be considered true positives. Two of the 1204 (0.2 %) screens were positive by culture and negative by PCR. The mean turnaround time (TAT) for PCR-negative swabs was 6 h 12 min and for PCR-positive swabs was 6 h 48 min. In comparison, for culture-negative swabs the mean TAT was 29 h 30 min and for culture-positive swabs was 69 h. The cost per swab for routine culture was £0.41 (€0.48) and that of the real-time PCR assay was £2.35 (€2.75). This optimized, in-house, inexpensive, real-time PCR test maintained a very high sensitivity and specificity when evaluated under real-time laboratory conditions. The TAT of this real-time PCR assay was substantially lower than that of chromogenic culture. It was also maintained throughout the entire process, which can be taken as an indirect measure of test performance. This study showed that implementation of a molecular test can be achieved with limited resources in a standard microbiology laboratory.


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