title: Evaluation of a vero cell toxicity test to detect EHEC infection.
abstract: An epidemiologic investigation was carried out in Modena (Italy) to evaluate the prevalence of faecal VEROtoxin (FVT) in diarrhoeal stool specimens. One thousand and sixty-six stool specimens, submitted to the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory of the University Hospital of Modena, were collected and faecal filtrates tested for neutralizable cytotoxin by a toxicity test on VERO cells. Cytopathic effect on VERO cells was produced by 301 stool specimens (28%); neutralizable VT was detected in 40 (13%) out of 301 positive samples (3.7% of 1066 specimens). The prevalent FVT type was VT2 (50%), followed by VT1 (32.5%) and VT1+2 (17.5%). We evaluated an assay that detects both VTs directly from stool specimens to demonstrate that enterohemorrhagic strains (EHEC) should be considerated a causative agent of sporadic non-bloody diarrhoea. Our results suggest that toxin neutralization assay is a sensitive and specific technique and may be used as an alternative method to diagnose diarrhoeal infections caused by EHEC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hygiene, Microbiology and Biostatistics, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cermelli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fabio
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Casolari
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Quaglio
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D019453:Escherichia coli O157 / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D022603:Shiga Toxins / Q000032:analysis*; D018675:Toxicity Tests; D014709:Vero Cells
chemical_list: D022603:Shiga Toxins