New E Coli Test Designed by Researchers at KSU: Faster Results to Detect E. Coli
Researchers at KSU (Kansas State University) who specialize in veterinarian medicine, are working on a rapid test that can detect E. coli in food. These researchers are developing a test that is faster than the current method of finding E. coli. Their goal is to find E. coli in ground beef that is related to frequent recalls. The original method of testing for E. coli takes a week to receive results. According to Phys.org, faculty members from the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine have developed a faster, more efficient method of detecting “Shiga toxin-producing E. coli,” or STEC, in ground beef, which often causes recalls of ground beef and vegetables.
The researchers’ goal for their new method of testing is that the test would only a one-day turn-around. “While the current, commonly used testing method is considered to be the gold standard, it is tedious and requires many days to obtain results that adequately differentiate the bacteria,” said Gary Anderson, director of the International Animal Health and Food Safety Institute at Kansas State’s campus in Olathe. If effective and accurate, this could become the new standard for testing for pathogens that lead to foodborne illnesses in foods such as raw meats.
According to one expert, “food safety and food inspection would be revolutionized in this way, with much quicker results.”
Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, or STEC, is one of the most common forms of E. coli and is most commonly found in ground beef and vegetables. Symptoms include diarrhea, possible bloody stools, fever, and stomach cramping. These symptoms can lead to dehydration which can cause other health concerns such as a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).
