Shiga-toxin producing E. coli (STEC): Diagnostic challenges and impact on food supply
Shiga-toxin producing E. coli (STEC) is the third most important zoonosis in humans and is an increasing cause of foodborne outbreaks and sporadic clinical cases. It is a serious disease in children, where it is the cause of hemolytic uremic syndrome. Its detection in foods represents a significant challenge for laboratories, where tested samples are quite often positive with real-time PCR during screening, but often negative with plate-based detection.
In this SelectScience webinar, the figures from the past five years of diagnostic activity of the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Abruzzo e del Molise (IZSAM) will be reported. A total of 1,716 foods and environmental samples were analyzed in order to detect STEC with ISO/TS13136:2012. Samples were gathered during official and routine control in the Abruzzo and Molise regions of Italy. The STEC genotypes and epidemiological situation in Italy and EU will be also reported.
As this diagnostic method remains a challenge, it is under investigation and proposed improvements are being checked and validated by external laboratories. The results of an inter-laboratory study for the validation of a new method, proposed by Thermo Fisher Scientific and organized by ADRIA in 2020, will be also detailed during the presentation.
Who should attend?
- Food and beverage laboratory managers
- Scientists working in microbiology, including QA and AC
- Researchers interested in studying STEC outbreaks