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A simple and sensitive detection system for Bacillus anthracis in meat and tissue
H I Cheun1, S I Makino, M Watarai
1Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido, Japan.
Journal of Applied Microbiology
|September 15, 2001
Summary
Rapidly detect Bacillus anthracis in meat and tissues using simple methods. This technique identifies even a single bacterial cell, crucial for food safety and early anthrax detection in animals.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Food Safety
- Veterinary Science
Background:
- Bacillus anthracis poses a significant threat to public health and animal welfare.
- Current detection methods can be time-consuming and complex.
- Need for rapid and simple diagnostic tools for anthrax.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a rapid and simple procedure for detecting and isolating Bacillus anthracis.
- To assess the sensitivity of the method for identifying low bacterial loads in food products and tissues.
Main Methods:
- Inoculation of 1g of lymph node and pig meat with Bacillus anthracis Pasteur II cells.
- Sample processing including mincing and suspension in Phosphate-Buffered Saline (PBS).
- Isolation on Bacillus cereus selective agar (BCA) plates and enrichment culture in trypticase soy broth.
- Confirmation using nested PCR targeting chromosomal DNA and pXO1/pXO2 plasmids.
Main Results:
- Successful detection of a single Bacillus anthracis cell per gram of sample using nested PCR.
- Isolation of Bacillus anthracis on BCA plates, identifiable by colony morphology.
- Confirmation of bacterial presence and virulence plasmids (pXO1/pXO2) via PCR.
Conclusions:
- The developed method allows for rapid and simple detection and isolation of Bacillus anthracis.
- This technique can identify even minimal contamination in meat and tissue samples within two days.
- The findings support the potential for early detection of latent anthrax in animals and contaminated meat.