Detection of Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli in Fecal Cultures by Use of a Modified Fluorescent-Antibody Technique

Abstract

Martin, Alice J. (Nassau County Department of Health, Hempstead, N.Y.), and Margaret O'Brien . Detection of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli in fecal cultures by use of a modified fluorescent-antibody technique. J. Bacteriol. 89: 570–573. 1965.—The application of the fluorescent-antibody (FA) technique to cultures of feces on blood-agar plates for the detection of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli serotypes is described. The results of a study of 364 fecal specimens, examined by both this modified technique and conventional cultural methods, are reported; the findings by the two methods are compared. The modified FA method offers several advantages over other techniques. The results of the examination can be reported sooner; more serotypes are discovered; it is simpler, easier, and quicker to prepare and examine growth from the blood plate than to examine fecal material; and the results are more definite. The results obtained by use of this modified FA procedure have shown that infection with multiple serotypes occurs much more frequently than cultural examinations alone indicate. Intensive cultural studies suggest that the inability to confirm serotypes which have been found by the FA method is probably due to inefficiencies in the cultural method.