title: Latex agglutination test for detection of Escherichia coli serotype O157.
abstract: The value of a latex agglutination test (Escherichia coli O157 latex test; Oxoid Ltd.) for rapid presumptive detection of E. coli serotype O157:H7 was determined by laboratory trials and during an outbreak of hemorrhagic colitis. The latex test was found to be a simple, highly efficient and reliable test in detecting E. coli O157:H7 with 100% sensitivity and specificity. It was also found that sorbitol-MacConkey agar cultures were not as useful for food samples as they were for fecal specimens in screening for E. coli O157:H7, but the use of the latex screen was particularly efficient in this setting.
authors.affiliation: Newfoundland and Labrador Public Health Laboratory, St. John's, Canada.
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: March
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ratnam
mesh_terms: D003092:Colitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005516:Food Microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007841:Latex Fixation Tests; D009523:Newfoundland and Labrador