[Application study on multicolor combinational probe coding real-time PCR in detection of foodborne pathogens]

Area of Science:

• Food microbiology
• Molecular diagnostics
• Real-time PCR technology

Context:

• Foodborne illnesses pose significant public health risks.
• Accurate and rapid detection of pathogens in food is crucial for consumer safety.
• Traditional methods can be time-consuming and labor-intensive.

Purpose:

• To determine the detection limit of multicolor combinational probe coding real-time PCR (MCPC-PCR) for Salmonella and Staphylococcus aureus.
• To evaluate the efficacy of MCPC-PCR in detecting these pathogens in food samples.
• To apply MCPC-PCR for detecting pathogens in actual food poisoning cases.

Summary:

• The MCPC-PCR assay demonstrated a detection limit of approximately 10(2) copies/test for Salmonella and Staphylococcus aureus.
• In food poisoning cases, MCPC-PCR correctly identified pathogens in 18 out of 23 positive samples, with an overall 95.05% coincidence rate compared to bacteriology.
• The assay also accurately identified Vibrio parahaemolyticus in patient anal swabs, consistent with bacteriology results.

Impact:

• MCPC-PCR offers a highly sensitive and specific method for pathogen detection in food.
• The technique allows for rapid and convenient simultaneous detection of multiple foodborne pathogens.
• This supports its recommendation for widespread use in the rapid screening and diagnosis of foodborne diseases.