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| Image of Cronobacter sakazakii, formerly known as Enterobacter sakazakii. Photo courtesy of CDC and Dr. JJ Farmer. |
Cronobacter sakazakii is a Gram-negative, foodborne pathogen associated with the use of powdered infant formula. In infants, this bacterium has been found to cause invasive infections with high fatality rates, including neonatal meningitis, sepsis, and necrotizing enterocolitis. Due to the severity of these infections, it is imperative that rapid and sensitive detection assays are available for the microbiological testing of powdered infant formula.
Currently, the routine procedure for the detection of Cronobacter spp. is both arduous and time intensive. To improve upon this, Cai et al., developed a novel molecular-based assay that targets the Cronobacter ompA gene through real-time PCR integrated with high resolution melting (HRM) analysis. This innovative methodology is not only faster than current procedures, reducing detection time from several days to less than 24 hours, it is also probe-free and reduces the risk of PCR carry over. To analyze the specificity and sensitivity of this assay, 11 Cronobacter isolates and 25 reference strains were examined. In this analysis, only Cronobacter spp. produced a positive signal. Moreover, the assay detection limit was found to be 102 CFU/mL, indicating that the assay is highly sensitive. Overall, this established method may provide a rapid, sensitive, and specific molecular tool for the direct detection of Cronobacter spp. in powdered infant formula.
