SUCCESSFUL APPLICATION OF ENZYME-LABELED OLIGONUCLEOTIDE PROBE FOR RAPID AND ACCURATE CHOLERA DIAGNOSIS IN A CLINICAL LABORATORY

Two cholera cases were diagnosed using an enzyme-labeled oligonucleoti de probe (ELONP) hybridization test for detection of cholera toxin gen e (ctx) in a clinical laboratory at Osaka Airport Quarantine Station. The ELONP test with suspicious colonies of Vibrio cholerae 01 grown on TCBS or Vibrio agar plates gave positive result for ctx within 3 hr. We also tried to apply the ELONP test for direct detection of ctx in t heir stool and their non-selective culture. Specimens from Case #1, wh ich contained 5.9 X 10(5) CFU/g of V. cholerae 01 in the stool, cultur ed for 7-8 hr or longer in alkaline peptone water or Marine broth at 3 7C, became positive for ctx. On the other hand, specimens from Case #2 , which contained 8.7 x 10(8) CFU/ml (of V. cholerae 01 in the stool), gave positive result in this stool itself without any further culture . These data suggest that the ELONP test provides successfully a more rapid and accurate means of identifying ''toxigenic'' V. cholerae 01 i n a clinical laboratory.