High-performance detection of Mycobacterium bovis in milk using digital LAMP

This paper described a high-performance molecular test for the detection of Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis) based on digital loop-mediated isothermal amplification (dLAMP). M. bovis is a persistent pathogen that causes zoonotic tuberculosis and can infect both animals and human beings. The detection of M. bovis in milk samples is critical for effective control and prevention of zoonotic diseases but there lacks effective and sensitive methods. Here, we developed a convenient and low-cost system for M. bovis detection in milk, which incorporated automated DNA extraction and dLAMP by interfacial emulsification technique. Versus real-time PCR, dLAMP provides higher accuracy and sensitivity for direct M. bovis detection in milk, offering a limit of detection of 14 CFU/mL within 2 h. The dLAMP system can become a powerful platform for the detection of pathogens in complex samples and provide more reliable guidance for food safety testing, epidemiological research and clinical diagnosis.