Electrochemical Method for Viable Pathogen Detection

The specific aim of this application is to develop a new, automated system for the rapid detection of bacterial contamination (especially Escherichia coli O157:H7) in meat and meat products. The Centers for Disease Control estimate that 76 million people suffer from foodborne illness annually, with 325,000 being admitted to hospitals, of who more than 5,000 die. The yearly costs of these illnesses is estimated at $5-6 billion in direct medical expenses and lost productivity. Of these foodborne illnesses, as many as 73,000 cases and 61 deaths per year in the United States can be attributed to Escherichia coli O157:H7. E. coli O157:H7 is a foodborne pathogen that causes both bloody and non-bloody diarrhea, and is especially harmful to the immunocompromised, which includes the young, the elderly, and those with diseases such as HIV. In addition to causing bloody diarrhea, person to person transmission of E. coli O157:H7 infection is well documented. <P>Current tests for E. coli O157:H7 use conventional agar/culturing methods, immunological assays, and PCR based technology. Although accurate, these identification techniques require extremely lengthy processing and enrichment steps, which delay the final results.<P> In response to this need for a rapid, sensitive, and inexpensive detection method Lynntech will develop an automated E. coli detection system that will provide results in 30 minutes post sampling. In Phase II, Lynntech will build a complete prototype system that will be used for testing at a meat packing plant. <P> The specific aim of this application is to detect foodborne pathogens in meat. Foodborne illness is a major public health concern and accounts for thousands of unnecessary hospitalizations, lost productivity, and even death in severe cases. This research will enable rapid detection of foodborne pathogens before they are distributed to the consumer.