Rapid Salmonella detection in experimentally inoculated equine faecal and veterinary hospital environmental samples using commercially available lateral flow immunoassays.
Abstract: Salmonella enterica is the most commonly reported cause of outbreaks of nosocomial infections in large animal veterinary teaching hospitals and the closure of equine hospitals. Rapid detection may facilitate effective control practices in equine populations. Shipping and laboratory testing typically require ≥48 h to obtain results. Lateral flow immunoassays developed for use in food-safety microbiology provide an alternative that has not been evaluated for use with faeces or environmental samples. Objective: We aimed to identify enrichment methods that would allow commercially available rapid Salmonella detection systems (lateral flow immunoassays) to be used in clinical practice with equine faecal and environmental samples, providing test results in 18-24 h. Methods: In vitro experiment. Methods: Equine faecal and environmental samples were inoculated with known quantities of S. enterica serotype Typhimurium and cultured using 2 different enrichment techniques for faeces and 4 enrichment techniques for environmental samples. Samples were tested blindly using 2 different lateral flow immunoassays and plated on agar media for confirmatory testing. Results: In general, commercial lateral flow immunoassays resulted in fewer false-negative test results with enrichment of 1 g faecal samples in tetrathionate for 18 h, while all environmental sample enrichment techniques resulted in similar detection rates. The limit of detection from spiked samples, ∼4 colony-forming units/g, was similar for all methods evaluated. Conclusions: The lateral flow immunoassays evaluated could reliably detect S. enterica within 18 h, indicating that they may be useful for rapid point-of-care testing in equine practice applications. Additional evaluation is needed using samples from naturally infected cases and the environment to gain an accurate estimate of test sensitivity and specificity and to substantiate further the true value of these tests in clinical practice.
© 2014 EVJ Ltd.
Publication Date: 2014-03-04 PubMed ID: 24506224DOI: 10.1111/evj.12234Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
- Biotechnology
- Diagnosis
- Diagnostic Technique
- Disease Diagnosis
- Disease Treatment
- Epidemiology
- Equine Diseases
- Equine Health
- Food Safety
- In Vitro Research
- Infection
- Infectious Disease
- Laboratory Methods
- Microbiology
- Public Health
- Salmonellosis
- Veterinary Medicine
- Veterinary Practice
- Veterinary Research
- Veterinary Science
Summary
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The research study primarily explores the potential of using commercial lateral flow immunoassays for swift detection of Salmonella in horse feces and environmental samples from veterinary hospitals. The aim is to provide results within 18-24 hours, significantly faster than the regular 48 hours taken by laboratory testing.
Objective and Methodology of the Study
In the pursuit of expedited Salmonella detection, the researchers worked on identifying enrichment techniques that would elevate the efficiency of commercially available rapid Salmonella detection systems (lateral flow immunoassays).
- Equine faecal and environmental samples were experimented with and were inoculated with known amounts of S. enterica serotype Typhimurium.
- Two different enrichment methods were used for processing fecal samples and four for environmental samples.
The tests using two different lateral flow immunoassays were done blindly and the results were then confirmed by plating the samples on agar media for confirmatory testing.
Results and Conclusion of the Study
The results indicated that commercial lateral flow immunoassays provided fewer false negatives when a sample of 1g feces was enriched in tetrathionate for 18 hours. All environmental sample enrichment techniques showed similar detection rates.
- The limit of detection from the experimentally enriched samples was around four colony-forming units/g, fairly similar for all methods evaluated.
- Based on their findings, the researchers concluded that using lateral flow immunoassays for rapid detection of S.enterica yielded reliable results within 18 hours.
The study, therefore, posits these tests viable for quick point-of-care testing applications in equine practice. However, the researchers also note that further testing with samples from naturally infected cases and the environment is required. The aim of this additional evaluation is to accurately estimate test sensitivity and specificity, and further affirm these tests’ value in clinical practice.
Cite This Article
APA
Burgess BA, Noyes NR, Bolte DS, Hyatt DR, van Metre DC, Morley PS.
(2014).
Rapid Salmonella detection in experimentally inoculated equine faecal and veterinary hospital environmental samples using commercially available lateral flow immunoassays.
Equine Vet J, 47(1), 119-122.
https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.12234 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, USA.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Bacteriological Techniques / methods
- Bacteriological Techniques / veterinary
- Environmental Microbiology
- Feces / microbiology
- Horses
- Hospitals, Animal
- Salmonella / isolation & purification
Citations
This article has been cited 9 times.- Rothers KL, Hackett ES, Mason GL, Nelson BB. Atypical Salmonellosis in a Horse: Implications for Hospital Safety. Case Rep Vet Med 2020;2020:7062408.
- Doster E, Rovira P, Noyes NR, Burgess BA, Yang X, Weinroth MD, Linke L, Magnuson R, Boucher C, Belk KE, Morley PS. A Cautionary Report for Pathogen Identification Using Shotgun Metagenomics; A Comparison to Aerobic Culture and Polymerase Chain Reaction for Salmonella enterica Identification. Front Microbiol 2019;10:2499.
- Fagre AC, Pabilonia KL, Johnston MS, Morley PS, Burgess BA. Comparison of detection methods for Salmonella enterica shedding among reptilian patients at a veterinary teaching hospital. J Vet Diagn Invest 2020 Jan;32(1):118-123.
- Burgess BA, Weller CB, Pabilonia KL, Bolte DS, Van Metre DC, Morley PS. Detection of different serotypes of Salmonella enterica in experimentally inoculated equine fecal samples by commercially available rapid tests. J Vet Intern Med 2014 Nov-Dec;28(6):1853-9.
- Yang L, Qiao Y, Chen R, Wang M, Zhou B, Zhang X, Zhao Y, Shi H, Xia L, Fu Q. Evaluation of the therapeutic effect of Berberine microcapsules on Salmonella enteritidis-infected mice. BMC Vet Res 2025 Oct 6;21(1):580.
- Bakishev T, Amirgazin A, Kuibagarov M, Shevtsov A, Bakisheva Z, Yessembekova G, Kairzhanova A, Kadyrov A, Guo K, Wang X, Abdrakhmanov S, Borovikov S. Genome-wide characterization and comparative phylogenomics of three Salmonella Abortusequi strains isolated from equine abortions in Kazakhstan. Vet World 2025 Jun;18(6):1571-1580.
- Lamichhane B, Mawad AMM, Saleh M, Kelley WG, Harrington PJ 2nd, Lovestad CW, Amezcua J, Sarhan MM, El Zowalaty ME, Ramadan H, Morgan M, Helmy YA. Salmonellosis: An Overview of Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, and Innovative Approaches to Mitigate the Antimicrobial Resistant Infections. Antibiotics (Basel) 2024 Jan 13;13(1).
- Borovikov S, Ryskeldina A, Tursunov K, Syzdykova A, Akibekov O. Recombinant Salmonella enterica OmpX protein expression and its potential for serologically diagnosing Salmonella abortion in mares. Vet World 2023 Sep;16(9):1790-1795.
- Burgess BA, Morley PS. Risk factors for veterinary hospital environmental contamination with Salmonella enterica. Epidemiol Infect 2018 Jul;146(10):1282-1292.
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