Toward an International Standard for PCR-Based Detection of Food-Borne Thermotolerant Campylobacters: Validation in a Multicenter Collaborative Trial

Abstract

As part of a European research project, the performance of a PCR assay to detect food-borne thermotolerant campylobacters ( Campylobacter jejuni , C. coli , and C. lari ) was evaluated through an international collaborative trial involving 12 participating laboratories. DNA from 10 target and 8 nontarget strains was tested, and the results were reported as the presence of a positive signal after gel electrophoresis. The overall inclusivity (sensitivity) was 93.7%, and the exclusivity (specificity) was 100%. The results indicate that the assay can become an international standard and can be confidently applied in microbiological laboratories.