Detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 by multiplex PCR.

In order to develop a PCR assay for Escherichia coli O157:H7, a portion of the 60-MDa plasmid harbored by enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) was sequenced and PCR primers were designed. A multiplex PCR method was then designed by employing primers specific for the EHEC eaeA gene, conserved sequences of Shiga-like toxins I (SLT-I) and II (SLT-II), and the 60-MDa plasmid. PCR products of 1,087 bp (eaeA), 227 and/or 224 bp (SLT-I and/or SLT-II), and 166 bp (plasmid) were successfully amplified simultaneously in a single reaction. The multiplex PCR method can be used to specifically identify EHEC of serogroup O157.