Integrated Approach for the Diagnosis of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Infections in Humans

Stefano Morabito; Fabio Minelli; Rosangela Tozzoli

doi:10.1007/978-1-0716-1339-9_1

Integrated Approach for the Diagnosis of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Infections in Humans

Methods Mol Biol. 2021:2291:1-17. doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1339-9_1.

Authors

Stefano Morabito¹, Fabio Minelli¹, Rosangela Tozzoli²

Affiliations

¹ Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
² Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy. rosangela.tozzoli@iss.it.

PMID: 33704747
DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1339-9_1

Abstract

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are human pathogens causing severe diseases, such as hemorrhagic colitis and the hemolytic uremic syndrome. The prompt diagnosis of STEC infection is of primary importance to drive the most appropriate patient's management procedures. The methods to diagnose STEC infections include both direct isolation of the STEC from stool samples and the identification of indirect evidences based on molecular, phenotypic, and serological applications. Here, the procedures in use at the Italian Reference Laboratory for E. coli infections are described.

Keywords: Anti-lipopolysaccharide antibodies; ELISA; Real time PCR; STEC isolation; Serology; Shiga toxin; Vero cell assay.

MeSH terms

Colitis* / diagnosis
Colitis* / microbiology
Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage* / diagnosis
Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage* / microbiology
Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome* / diagnosis
Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome* / microbiology
Humans
Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia coli* / classification
Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia coli* / genetics
Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia coli* / isolation & purification