Multilaboratory Validation of a Luminex Microbead-Based Suspension Array for the Identification of the 11 Most Clinically Relevant Shiga Toxin--Producing Escherichia coli O Serogroups

Abstract

AbstractRapid and high-throughput identification and serotyping of Shiga toxin--producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O serogroups is important for detecting, investigating, and controlling STEC infection outbreaks and removing hazardous products from commerce. A Luminex microbead-based suspension array has been developed to identify the 11 most clinically relevant STEC serogroups: O26, O45, O91, O103, O104, O111, O113, O121, O128, O145, and O157. Here we present results of a blinded multilaboratory collaborative study involving 10 participants from nine laboratories using 55 unknown strains. From the total 495 analyses, two false-positive and three false-negative results were obtained, indicating the assay to be a rapid, high-throughput, and robust method for identifying clinically relevant STEC serogroups.