title: Evaluation of molecular and culture methods to determine the optimum testing strategy for verotoxigenic Escherichia coli in faecal specimens.
abstract: We evaluated 5 methods for the detection of verotoxogenic Escherichia coli (VTEC) from faecal specimens to determine the most sensitive and specific method(s) and to advise an optimum testing strategy. A total of 681 stool specimens were examined using up to 5 diagnostic molecular and phenotypic methods that are used routinely in the VTEC Reference laboratory, Dublin. A testing strategy incorporating a 2-step approach that included a single Real Time-PCR and 1 culture-based method yielded the highest sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of 98.21%, 100%, 100%, and 99.43%, respectively.
authors.affiliation: VTEC Reference Laboratory, Public Health Laboratory, Cherry Orchard hospital, Dublin, Ireland; European Public Health Microbiology Training Programme (EUPHEM), European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: anne.carroll@hse.ie.
authors.forename: Anne M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Carroll
authors.affiliation: VTEC Reference Laboratory, Public Health Laboratory, Cherry Orchard hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Emma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cobban
authors.affiliation: VTEC Reference Laboratory, Public Health Laboratory, Cherry Orchard hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Eleanor B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: McNamara
mesh_terms: D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D065288:Serogroup; D054323:Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia coli / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic
keywords: Diagnostics; PCR; VTEC