JCM Accepts, published online ahead of print on 2 September 2009

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J. Clin. Microbiol. doi:10.1128/JCM.01026-09
Copyright (c) 2009, American Society for Microbiology and/or the Listed Authors/Institutions. All Rights Reserved.

Comparison of the EntericBio® multiplex PCR system with routine culture for the detection of bacterial enteric pathogens.

James O'Leary, Daniel Corcoran, and Brigid Lucey^*

Department of Medical Microbiology, Cork University Hospital, Wilton, Cork, Ireland

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: brigid.lucey{at}cit.ie.

The EntericBio system is a multiplex PCR assay for simultaneous detection of Campylobacter spp., Salmonella enterica, Shigella spp. and E. coli O157 from faeces. It combines overnight broth enrichment with PCR amplification and detection by hybridisation. An evaluation of this system was conducted by comparing results with routine culture, supplemented with alternative PCR detection methods. In a study of 773 samples, routine culture and the EntericBio system yielded 94.6 and 92.4% negative results, respectively. Forty-two positive results were obtained by culture, all of which were detected by the EntericBio system. This system detected an additional 17 positives (Campylobacter spp. n=12; Shigella spp. n=1; E. coli O157 n=4), of which five results could not be confirmed (Campylobacter spp. n=2; Shigella spp. n=1; E. coli O157 n=2). The target for Shigella spp. detected by the EntericBio system is the ipaH gene, and the positive Shigella spp. result was investigated using sequence analysis and confirmed to be present in Klebsiella pneumoniae. The sensitivity, specificity, Positive Predictive Value and Negative Predictive Value were 100%, 99.3%, 91.5% and 100%, respectively. Turnaround times were significantly reduced by the EntericBio system and a result was available between 24 and 32 hours after receipt of the sample in the laboratory. In addition, laboratory waste was significantly reduced with this system. In summary, the EntericBio system proved convenient to use, more sensitive than the conventional culture used in this study, highly specific, and it generated results significantly faster than routine culture for the pathogens tested.