PCR-based Assays to Detect Pathogens in Foods: Genome-based Detection Offers Specificity in Pathogen Detection

摘要

Rapid tools are needed to detect the presence of pathogens in foods in order to avert their transmission to consumers. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), that targets the gene sequences unique to pathogens, can deliver the specificity for rapid detection of foodborne pathogens. Food safety continues to be an important public health issue as evident with recent foodborne outbreaks associated with meat, poultry, fruits and vegetables. For example, in September 2006, a widespread outbreak of enterohemor-rhagic Escherichia coli in the United States was identified through epidemiological investigations that linked the bacteria to fresh spinach. Because this pathogen has a very low infectious dose, it may not be detected by culture from the suspected foodstuff. Of the many foodborne outbreaks that have been investigated, this particular outbreak was unusual in that the pathogen was isolated from both patients and the suspected food. DNA fingerprinting correlated the outbreak isolates with the strain cultured from spinach.