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DFRL launches a novel test kit to detect multiple pathogens
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Monday, 31 January, 2011, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Nandita Vijay, Bangalore
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Defence Food Research Laboratory (DFRL), a prime lab under the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), has developed a test kit for simultaneous detection of four different groups of pathogenic microorganisms like the salmonella, E. coli, shigella and proteus.
The present test kit detects salmonella, genus, shigella genus, entire E. coli group along with proteus vulgaris/mirabilis, at the same time employs monoclonal antibody-based simple dot ELISA and a set of four biochemical tests which are reliable and simple to perform. It takes only three hours to produce results and is relatively inexpensive.
The test system has been developed and tested at the DFRL with a number of reference strains, isolates and clinical samples. Third party evaluation of this kit has been carried out successfully at the JSS Medical College, Mysore, SDM College, Dharwad, and Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore.
The important feature of the kit is that it provides confirmatory identification of all salmonella, genus, shigella genus, E -coli group along with proteus vulgaris/mirabilis. It is convenient to use and no lab equipment is required except for an incubator. The total duration for the test report is three hours and the test is highly economical at Rs 25 per test. There is also no requirement for a skilled manpower to carry out the test.
Potential users of the test are the microbiological departments of all medical and veterinary colleges, in addition to the diagnostic centres of medical and veterinary departments. The test can also be used by the analytical and quality control food laboratories. It can also be used in food inspections, disease control and outbreak investigation institutions and peripheral units.
The kit was released by Dr K Shekar, scientist and chief controller (R and D), DRDO, at the Lab Raising Day of DFRL, recently. Convenient methodology to identify the salmonella, genus, shigella genus, entire E. coli group along with proteus vulgaris/mirabilis simultaneously was through a process-based on the isolation in pure cultures, bio-chemical and serological tests. These tests are tedious and time consuming and require three to five days. "More over these procedures are not economical," said Dr A S Bawa, director, DFRL.
Fewer detection methods for the rapid detection of salmonella, genus, shigella genus, entire E. coli group along with proteus vulgaris/mirabilis are available commercially.
Immunoassays such as ELISA tests use polyclonal or monoclonal antibodies or combination of both. However, the use of polyclonal antibodies in these tests may produce a high number of false positive results due to cross reactions of shared epitopes present in other bacteria or even in food components. Commercial systems that are available employing antibodies in simple agglutination tests are to be imported and are highly expensive and at times may lead to erroneous results. Molecular methods like the PCRs are reliable but too expensive for routine laboratories. Other recently developed commercial cassette kit based systems are also reliable but again are highly expensive.
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