title: Evaluation of the SHIGA TOXIN QUIK CHEK and ImmunoCard STAT! EHEC as screening tools for the detection of Shiga toxin in fecal specimens.
abstract: In this study we evaluated the performance of the SHIGA TOXIN QUIK CHEK (Techlab®, Blacksburg, VA) and the ImmunoCard STAT! Enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) (Meridian BioScience, Cincinnati, OH, USA) assays as methods for qualitatively detecting the presence of Shiga toxin in human fecal specimens. A multiplex PCR for the detection of stx1 and stx2 was used as the standard for comparison. The SHIGA TOXIN QUIK CHEK detected all known Shiga toxin subtypes with the exception of Stx2f, while the ImmunoCard STAT! EHEC was unable to identify four of the seven Stx2 subtypes, including Stx2b and Stx2d. When compared to multiplex PCR based on Shiga toxin gene presence alone both assays demonstrated 100% specificity, and gave sensitivity values of 50.0% and 41.2% respectively. Correlation between each assay and the multiplex PCR was calculated by the use of kappa, with both assays exhibiting a moderate level of agreement.
authors.affiliation: Public Health Microbiology, Communicable Disease, Queensland Department of Health, Forensic and Scientific Services, PO Box 594, ARCHERFIELD Queensland 4108, Australia. Electronic address: megan.staples@health.qld.gov.au.
authors.forename: Megan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Staples
authors.affiliation: Public Health Microbiology, Communicable Disease, Queensland Department of Health, Forensic and Scientific Services, PO Box 594, ARCHERFIELD Queensland 4108, Australia.
authors.forename: Ning-Xia
authors.initials: NX
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.affiliation: Public Health Microbiology, Communicable Disease, Queensland Department of Health, Forensic and Scientific Services, PO Box 594, ARCHERFIELD Queensland 4108, Australia.
authors.forename: Rikki Ma
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Graham
authors.affiliation: Public Health Microbiology, Communicable Disease, Queensland Department of Health, Forensic and Scientific Services, PO Box 594, ARCHERFIELD Queensland 4108, Australia.
authors.forename: Helen V
authors.initials: HV
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Public Health Microbiology, Communicable Disease, Queensland Department of Health, Forensic and Scientific Services, PO Box 594, ARCHERFIELD Queensland 4108, Australia.
authors.forename: Amy V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Jennison
mesh_terms: D054324:Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology*; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay / Q000379:methods*; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D060885:Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D022621:Shiga Toxin / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D022621:Shiga Toxin
keywords: Escherichia coli; Immunoassay; Rapid; Shiga toxigenic Escherichia coli; Shiga toxin