Rapid detection of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli by optical immunoassay

In a multi-health center study, a new rapid optical immunoassay (OIA) for the detection of Shiga toxin types I and 2, the BioStar OIA SHIGATOX kit (Inverness Medical Professional Diagnostics, Inc.), was used to prospectively screen 742 fresh fecal samples for Shiga toxins in parallel with the Premier enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) kit (Meridian BioScience, Inc.) with and without enrichment of the specimens by incubation in MacConkey broth. Additionally, 85 previously tested frozen fecal samples were assessed as described above. All positive immunoassay results were confirmed by the Vero cell cytotoxicity assay. A further modification of the screening procedure was evaluated on 470 of the prospectively screened specimens. Swabs of growth from conventionally plated stool culture media were subjected to the OIA SHIGATOX, and results were compared with those obtained with the Premier EHEC kit following broth enrichment. Overall, the OIA SHIGATOX kit was significantly more sensitive than the Premier EHEC kit on fresh direct stool specimens (sensitivities, 96.8% and 83.9%, respectively; P < 0.05). The two assays performed equally well with each other on frozen and broth-enriched samples. The colony sweep method used in conjunction with the OIA kit was somewhat more effective at detection of Shiga toxins from growth on agar than the overnight broth enrichment procedure used with the Premier EHEC assay (sensitivities, 100% and 92%, respectively; P < 0.09). Overall, the OIA SHIGATOX kit provided rapid, easy-to-interpret results and was highly effective at detection of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli in fecal samples and overnight cultures.