1. Combined Use of Culture and Non-Culture Toxin Based Methods Demonstrate Increased Diversity of Shiga Toxin Producing Escherichia coli in Southern Idaho.
- Author
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Bruesch, Amanda J., Lockary, Vivian M., and Ball, Christopher L.
- Subjects
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ESCHERICHIA coli , *HEMOLYTIC-uremic syndrome diagnosis , *VEROCYTOTOXINS , *DIAGNOSIS of diarrhea , *MEDICAL centers - Abstract
Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7 has gained international notoriety as the primary etiologic agent of hemorrhagic diarrhea and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) following consumption of contaminated water or food products. Although O157:H7 STEC is the most abundant serovar, its importance is exaggerated due to overreliance on culture based methods for diagnosis. There are more than 100 other STEC serovar that have been associated with diarrheal illness when both culture and non-culture toxin based detection methods are used. Since 2002, the Idaho Bureau of Laboratories has collaborated with three regional medical centers in Eastern, South Central, and Southwestern Idaho to implement combined culture and toxin detection methods in routine stool culture protocols. In all three regions, this testing algorithm has shown that about 50% of the recovered clinical isolates were non-O157 STEC serovars. This data clearly illustrates the need for the combined use of culture and toxin based testing to assess the burden of STEC disease in Idaho. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2008