Rapid Detection of Staph Infections Possible Via New Laboratory Method

A new laboratory test that can rapidly identify the bacterium responsible for staph infections has been developed by researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This new test takes advantage of unique isotopic labeling combined with specific bacteriophage amplification to rapidly identify Staphylococcus aureus.

Quickly and accurately detecting infections caused by S. aureus is critical because the pathogenic bacterium causes a broad spectrum of infections, ranging from acute to chronic disease, which need to be treated in a prompt manner with the correct antibiotic.

The test uses mass spectrometry to quantify the number of S. aureus organisms in a large number of samples in just a few hours, compared to a day or two for culturing techniques typically used to detect this bacterium.



Source-Eurekalert