Infectious gastroenteritis, among other gastrointestinal illnesses, is caused by a bacterial, viral, or parasitic infection that is represented by inflammation of the lining of the stomach and small and large intestines. An enteric infection will typically cause signs of dehydration from excessive vomiting and/or diarrhea. Most cases of gastroenteritis are infectious, and acquisition may be foodborne, waterborne, or through contact with other infected individuals or animals.*
One common cause for gastroenteritis, salmonella, can be traced to over 26,000 hospitalizations and 420 deaths per year the US each year.** Norovirus, another pathogen causing gastroenteritis, has caused over 100,000 hospitalizations per year.***
Most common pathogens that cause infectious gastroenteritis
- Bacteria
- Yersinia, found in pork
- Staphylococcus, Salmonella, Campylobacter, found in dairy, meat, egg products
- Shigella: found in water and often swimming pools
- coli: found in ground beef and salads
- Listeria: found in contaminated food
- Viruses
- Norovirus
- Rotavirus
- Adenovirus
- Astrovirus
- Parasites
- Cryptosporidium: transmitted through contaminated drinking water and recreational sources of water, such as pools
- Giardia: transmitted through water, as well as through contaminated soil and food
The role of infectious disease research
Enteric pathogen research plays a significant role in controlling the spread of infectious diseases like gastroenteritis. With multiple possible causes to the illness, enteric pathogen researchers should equip themselves with sensitive and specific testing technology.
Molecular pathogen research panels of all sizes are becoming available in the market. With many research labs now equipped with PCR instruments purchased in the recent years, there is an opportunity to repurpose that technology and leverage a molecular approach for gastrointestinal testing. This enables laboratories to differentiate between the most common pathogens that cause infectious gastroenteritis to effectively study outbreaks and determine disease etiology where pathogens are similar. Speed is also key in controlling the spread. Something that culture-based testing does not provide when compared to PCR.
A molecular solution for gastrointestinal pathogen research
The TrueMark™ Enteric Pathogen Expanded Panel is a real-time PCR solution for gastrointestinal research that provides high specificity, accuracy, and precision compared to traditional culture and microscopy methods. The expanded panel has 22-26 bacterial, viral, and parasitic targets with a turnaround time of ~5 hours from sample preparation to results. The panel also allows for testing from multiple sample types, including fecal and rectal swabs, and fresh and frozen stool.
The TrueMark Enteric Pathogen Expanded Panel is available in two formats:
- 26 targets spotted in duplicate (format 56 including 2 controls) on OpenArray Plates
- 22 targets spotted in duplicate (format 24 including 2 controls) on Array Cards
Both product options are now available off-the-shelf as of October 24th, 2022.
Request more information here about infectious disease research panels.
References
*What is infectious gastroenteritis? (n.d.). Center for Disease Control & Prevention. Retrieved October 19, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/pub/faq/faq.htm#infectious
**Questions and Answers | Salmonella | CDC. (n.d.). Retrieved October 31, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/general/index.html
***Burden of Norovirus Illness in the U.S. | CDC. (n.d.). Retrieved October 31, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/norovirus/trends-outbreaks/burden-US.html
For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.