Effectiveness of PCR and CDx Immunoassay for the detection of Salmonella and STEC in the air of beef slaughterhouses

A study comparing the effectiveness of a quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and the Crystal Diagnostic Xpress (CDx) immunoassay for detecting Salmonella and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in air samples collected from abattoirs in Texas was published in  J Food Prot (2021) 84 (1): 31–38 (Zahra et al., 2021). After 36 h enrichment, qPCR, and CDx assays, 37.5 and 57.1% of the samples, respectively, were positive for Salmonella (P < 0.05) and 65.0 and 60.7%, respectively, were positive for STEC (P > 0.05). Recovery of Salmonella and STEC increased 16 and 47%, respectively, when enrichment was extended from 18 to 36 h. Detection rates for samples from larger plants were higher for both pathogens. Salmonella detection was higher with the CDx assay than with the qPCR assay, but no differences were found in STEC detection. Detection rates for pathogens in the air are enhanced by using two methods simultaneously. @ https://meridian.allenpress.com/jfp/article-abstract/84/1/31/442605/Comparison-between-the-Real-Time-PCR-and-Crystal