title: Evaluation of enzyme immunoassays and real-time PCR for detecting Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in Southern Alberta, Canada.
abstract: Two immunoassays (Shiga Toxin Chek and Shiga Toxin Quik Chek) and real-time PCR were used to detect Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli. For enriched culture, the sensitivity and specificity of the three methods ranged from 80.0% to 98.2% and 98.0% to 100.0%, respectively. STEC isolates were identified in 2.6% of the 784 samples.
authors.affiliation: Provincial Laboratory for Public Health, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Linda.Chui@albertahealthservices.ca.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chui
authors.affiliation: Provincial Laboratory for Public Health, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Patterson-Fortin
authors.affiliation: Provincial Laboratory for Public Health, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.affiliation: Provincial Laboratory for Public Health, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Chinook Regional Hospital, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Valerie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Boras
mesh_terms: D000416:Alberta / Q000453:epidemiology; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques / Q000379:methods; D015995:Prevalence; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D054323:Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia coli / Q000302:isolation & purification*