Rapid Detection of the Escherichia coli Genospecies in Water by Conventional and Real-Time PCR

The presence of Escherichia coli has long been established as the most reliable microbiological indication of fecal contamination in water. Current recommended culture-based methods for assessing water quality by the detection of E. coli are lengthy and lack ubiquity (ability to detect most if not all strains of a target microorganism). We describe rapid and sensitive conventional and real-time PCR assays specific to E. coli and Shigella, based on the nucleotide sequence of the highly conserved elongation factor Tu (tuf ) gene enabling the detection of all members of the genospecies.