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Updated: Aug 24, 2026
Detection of Live Escherichia coli O157:H7 Cells by PMA-qPCR
Published on: February 1, 2014
RAPID detection and quantification of E. coli O157/O26/O111 in minced beef by real-time PCR
K A O'Hanlon1, T M G Catarame, G Duffy
1The National Food Centre, Teagasc, Ashtown, Dublin, Ireland.
Aim:
To develop a real-time PCR detection procedure for Escherichia coli O111, O26 and O157 from minced meat.
Methods And Results:
Strains (n = 8) of each of E. coli O26, E. coli O111 and E. coli O157 were inoculated at ca 10-20 CFU g(-1) into minced retail meat and enriched for 6 h at 41.5 degrees C as follows: E. coli O26 in tryptone soya broth (TSB) supplemented with cefixime (50 microg l(-1)), vancomycin (40 mg l(-1)) and potassium tellurite (2.5 mg l(-1)); E. coli O111 in TSB supplemented with cefixime (50 microg l(-1)) and vancomycin (40 mg l(-1)); E. coli O157 in E. coli broth supplemented with novobiocin (20 mg l(-1)). DNA was extracted from the enriched cultures, and detected and quantified by real-time PCR using verotoxin (vt1 and vt2) and serogroup (O157 per gene; O26 fliC-fliA genes and O111 wzy gene) specific primers.
Conclusions:
The methods outlined were found to be sensitive and specific for the routine detection of E. coli O111, O26 and O157 in minced beef.
Significance And Impact Of The Study:
The enrichment, isolation and detection procedures used in this study provide a rapid routine-based molecular method for the detection and differentiation of E. coli O26, O111 and O157 from minced meat.
