Aims: The aim of the study was to develop a colony blot immunoassay to detect Shigella and enteroinvasive Escherichia coli (EIEC) in water. Methods and Results: Spiked samples were ®ltered through nitrocellulose membranes. Colony prints on the ®lters were tested with a monoclonal antibody speci®c to IpaC, an antigen coded by the invasion plasmid of Shigella and EIEC. Invasive pathogens could be successfully detected with the technique, even in the presence of a large number of non-pathogenic bacterial cells. The method was signi®cantly more sensitive in identifying pathogen-containing samples then the traditional culture-based approach. Conclusions: The IpaC-speci®c colony blot immunoassay is an inexpensive method for identifying the aetiological agents of bacillary dysentery in water samples. Signi®cance and Impact of the Study: The technique could be particularly useful in detecting enteroinvasive E. coli which often remains undetected by bio-and serotyping.
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