PCR-ELISAs for the detection of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli in poultry samples.
Campylobacter species, primarily Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli, are regarded as a major cause of human gastrointestinal disease, commonly acquired by eating undercooked chicken. We describe a PCR-ELISA for the detection of Campylobacter species and the discrimination of C. jejuni and C. coli in poultry samples. The PCR assay targets the 16S/23S ribosomal RNA intergenic spacer region of Campylobacter species with DNA oligonucleotide probes designed for the specific detection of C. jejuni, C. coli, and Campylobacter species immobilized on Nucleo-Link wells and hybridized to PCR products modified with a 5' biotin moiety. The limit of detection of the PCR-ELISA was 100-300 fg (40-120 bacterial cells) for C. jejuni and C. coli with their respective species-specific oligonucleotide probes and 10 fg (4 bacterial cells) with the Campylobacter genus-specific probe. Testing of poultry samples, which were presumptive positive for Campylobacter following culture on the Malthus V analyzer, with the PCR-ELISA determined Campylobacter to be present in 100% of samples (n = 40) with mixed cultures of C. jejuni/C. coli in 55%. The PCR-ELISA when combined with culture pre-enrichment is able to detect the presence of Campylobacter and definitively identify C. jejuni and C. coli in culture-enriched poultry meat samples.
National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland.
B
B
Grennan
N A
NA
O'Sullivan
R
R
Fallon
C
C
Carroll
T
T
Smith
M
M
Glennon
M
M
Maher
D000818:Animals; D017000:Campylobacter coli / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016123:Campylobacter jejuni / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011200:Poultry / Q000382:microbiology*