Serotyping

Serotyping of Escherichia coli

• Septicaemia
• Bacteraemia
• Gastroenteritis
• Neonatal meningitis

Isolate from urine, stool, blood, environmental, food, other.

Isolate provided on appropriate culture medium for E. coli.

Send as growth on appropriate culture medium or in appropriate transport medium.  Culture vessel should be leak-proof or sealed appropriately.

Shipping of specimens shall be done by a TDG certified individual in accordance with TDG regulations. For additional information regarding classification of specimens for the purposes of shipping, consult either Part 2 Appendix 3 of the TDG Regulations or section 3.6.2 of the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations as applicable.

Gastroenteritis, septicemia, infection, other.

Completed Division of Enteric Diseases requisition form.

N/A

In-silico serotype prediction (ECTyper)* (primary)(1)

Agglutination assay* (secondary/confirmatory)(2)

Note: All E. coli isolates will be referred for whole genome sequencing and in silico serotype prediction. If traditional serotyping is required, please ensure that this test is specified on the Division of Enteric Diseases requisition form.

1. In silico serotype prediction: as per Bessonov K, Laing C, Robertson J, Yong I, Ziebell K, Gannon VPJ, Nichani A, Arya G, Nash JHE, Christianson S. ECTyper: in silico Escherichia coli serotype and species prediction from raw and assembled whole-genome sequence data. Microb Genom. 2021 Dec;7(12):000728. doi: 10.1099/mgen.0.000728. PMID: 34860150; PMCID: PMC8767331.
2. Gross RJ, Rowe B. The serotyping of Escherichia coli In: Sussman M, ed. The Virulence of Escherichia coli: Reviews and Methods. London: Society for General Microbiology, Academic Press, 1985:345-63

21 calendar days.  Note: Turnaround times for routine isolates may be extended during major foodborne outbreak activities or due to limited availability of resources

Pathogen Safety Data Sheets: Infectious Substances – Escherichia coli, enterohemorrhagic

Pathogen Safety Data Sheets: Infectious Substances – Escherichia coli, enteroinvasive

Pathogen Safety Data Sheets: Infectious Substances – Escherichia coli, enteropathogenic

Pathogen Safety Data Sheets: Infectious Substances – Escherichia coli, enterotoxigenic

For health professionals: E. coli (Escherichia coli) infection

National case definition: Verotoxigenic Escherichia coli infection

E. coli (Escherichia coli) infection

National Enteric Surveillance Program (NESP)