Rapid pathogen detection and molecular tracing: a laboratory analysis on a cholera epidemic

Abstract

ObjectiveTo report rapid pathogen isolation and identification, virulence gene detection and pathogen tracing for a suspected cholera epidemic. MethodsFour stool and four anal swab specimens were collected from 8 diarrhea patients in an overseas tour group and 13 anal swab specimens were also collected from 13 other members of the tour group on October 21, 2018. Rapid detections of the specimens were conducted with Filmarray system and real-time PCR rapid identification and culture methods were used, respectively, for the specimens. VITEK-2 automatic microbial identification instrument and pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) typing were used for bio-identification of the isolated strains. Virulence genes were analyzed with real-time PCR. ResultsVibrio parahemolyticus (VP) was isolated from 11 of the specimens. Molecular typing of PFGE showed that the 11 VP stains were highly homologous, indicating that the epidemic was resulted from the infection of a same VP strain. ConclusionCombined utilization of multiple laboratory detections is of important value for rapid diagnosis, pathogen identification and tracing in epidemiological investigation on cholera epidemics.

Keywords

• cholera
• laboratory diagnosis
• vibrio parahaemolyticus
• molecular typing
• real-time pcr
• pulsed field gel electrophoresis