Comparison of a shiga toxin enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and two types of PCR for detection of shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in human stool specimens.

ABSTRACT: Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is a major cause of sporadic cases of disease as well as serious outbreaks worldwide. The spectrum of illnesses includes mild nonbloody diarrhea, hemorrhagic colitis, and hemolytic-uremic syndrome. STEC produces one or more Stxs, which are subdivided into two major classes, Stx1 and Stx2. The ingestion of contaminated food or water, person-to-person spread, and contact with animals are the major transmission modes. The infective dose of STEC may be less than 100 organisms. Effective prevention of infection is dependent on rapid detection of the causative bacterial pathogen. In the present study, we examined 295 stool specimens for the presence of Stx-producing E. coli by three different methods: an Stx enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, a

SUBMITTER: Pulz M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC254382 | biostudies-literature | 2003 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature