Real-time PCR Detection of Foodborne Pathogenic Escherichia coli

Real-time PCR Detection of Foodborne Pathogenic Escherichia colifrom Patricia Elízaquível, Gloria Sánchez and Rosa Aznar writing in Real-Time PCR in Food Science: Current Technology and Applications:Foodborne diarrheagenic Escherichia coli strains belong to a minor number of O:H serotypes. Of them the shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157:H7 is the most frequently reported. Besides, non-O157 strains are increasingly being isolated from a variety of food products. E. coli infections are typically associated with transmission through animal products. However, in the last years, contaminated fresh produce is increasingly being implicated in E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks. Currently real-time PCR (qPCR) is considered as an alternative to standard culture methods for E. coli detection in food due to its high speed, specificity, sensitivity, reproducibility and minimization of cross-contamination. Moreover, quantification is possible when an enrichment step is omitted. Although qPCR is a very promising technique for pathogen detection in food, food laboratories and industries are still reluctant to extensively apply it. Real-time qPCR presents some challenges when applying in food, e.g. presence of inhibitors, low levels of cells, detection of dead cells. Besides, the selection of appropriate target regions is another challenge in E. coli detection because of their high genetic heterogeneity. In this review the different approaches proposed to circumvent the difficulti...
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