Evaluation of molecular and culture methods to determine the optimum testing strategy for verotoxigenic Escherichia coli in faecal specimens

Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis. 2016 May;85(1):1-5. doi: 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2015.12.011. Epub 2015 Dec 17.

Abstract

We evaluated 5 methods for the detection of verotoxogenic Escherichia coli (VTEC) from faecal specimens to determine the most sensitive and specific method(s) and to advise an optimum testing strategy. A total of 681 stool specimens were examined using up to 5 diagnostic molecular and phenotypic methods that are used routinely in the VTEC Reference laboratory, Dublin. A testing strategy incorporating a 2-step approach that included a single Real Time-PCR and 1 culture-based method yielded the highest sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of 98.21%, 100%, 100%, and 99.43%, respectively.

Keywords: Diagnostics; PCR; VTEC.

MeSH terms

  • Bacterial Typing Techniques* / economics
  • Bacterial Typing Techniques* / methods
  • Bacterial Typing Techniques* / standards
  • Escherichia coli Infections / diagnosis*
  • Escherichia coli Infections / microbiology*
  • Feces / microbiology*
  • Genes, Bacterial
  • Humans
  • Reagent Kits, Diagnostic
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Serogroup
  • Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia coli / classification
  • Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia coli / genetics*
  • Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia coli / isolation & purification*

Substances

  • Reagent Kits, Diagnostic