Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Gastrointestinal tract infection is still one of the serious public health problems in many geographic areas and is endemic in most countries including Iran. Early detection of the gastrointestinal tract pathogens can be extremely important. The aim of the current study was to apply a shortened time-multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for rapid and simultaneous detection of Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., and Vibrio cholera. METHODS: The standard and clinical strains of Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., and V. cholerae were used in the assay. Multiplex PCR was performed and optimized based on amplification of invA, putative integrase, and ompW genes for detecting Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., and V. cholerae, respectively. The specificity of the assay was evaluated by testing 12 different bacterial species. RESULTS: Only Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., and V. cholerae strains had positive results when subjected to the assay using multiplex PCR. The assay showed a high sensitivity, and no amplification products were observed in multiplex PCR with any of the other microorganisms. CONCLUSION: Our study indicated that the invA, putative integrase, and ompW-based multiplex PCR assay appears to be an efficient method for rapid and simultaneous detection of Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., and V. cholerae.