An outbreak of diarrheal food poisoning happened in a local restaurant

An outbreak of diarrheal food poisoning happened in a local restaurant and you are supposed to identify the infectious agent that caused this outbreak. The only things available for your investigation are 75%-alcohol-treated leftovers of food eaten by the outbreak victims.
You are instructed by your supervisor that you should first check if the outbreak was caused by the most common food-poisoning bacteria, such as Salmonella, Shigella, and pathogenic strains of E. coli, and you are given a choice between API-20E or PCR for your investigation. State and explain your choice.

Given the situation and the available resources, PCR would be the better choice for investigating the outbreak of diarrheal food poisoning caused by a bacterial infection.

API-20E is a commonly used biochemical test kit that identifies various strains of Enterobacteriaceae, including Salmonella, Shigella, and pathogenic strains of E. coli, among others. However, it has some limitations, such as being time-consuming and requiring a significant amount of bacterial growth for testing.

PCR (polymerase chain reaction), on the other hand, is a molecular technique that can rapidly detect and amplify DNA sequences specific to a particular pathogen, allowing for quick and sensitive identification of the infectious agent responsible for the outbreak. PCR can detect a single copy of the target DNA, making it highly sensitive and specific. Moreover, PCR does not require bacterial growth, which means that even small amounts of the infectious agent in the 75%-alcohol-treated leftovers of food eaten by the outbreak victims can be detected.

Therefore, given the time and sensitivity requirements of this investigation, PCR would be the better choice over API-20E for identifying the infectious agent responsible for the outbreak of diarrheal food poisoning in the local restaurant.

Explanation:
Given the nature of the outbreak, it is likely that the infectious agent is one of the common food-poisoning bacteria such as Salmonella, Shigella, or pathogenic strains of E. coli.

To identify the specific bacterial species causing the outbreak, there are two options available: API-20E and PCR.

API-20E is a biochemical test that identifies bacterial species based on their metabolic properties. It involves inoculating a bacterial sample into a series of biochemical tests and observing the reactions to determine the species. However, this method may take several days and may not be able to detect all bacterial species.

PCR, on the other hand, is a molecular technique that amplifies and detects specific DNA sequences. It can rapidly detect the presence of specific bacteria in a sample, and is highly sensitive and specific. PCR can detect even a small number of bacterial cells, and it can identify specific strains of bacteria, which is essential for epidemiological investigations.

Therefore, in this case, it is recommended to use PCR to identify the infectious agent responsible for the outbreak. This method will allow for rapid and accurate detection of the specific bacterial species involved, which is critical for determining the source of the outbreak and implementing appropriate control measures to prevent further spread.

Explanation:
Given the nature of the outbreak, it is likely that the infectious agent is one of the common food-poisoning bacteria such as Salmonella, Shigella, or pathogenic strains of E. coli.

To identify the specific bacterial species causing the outbreak, there are two options available: API-20E and PCR.

API-20E is a biochemical test that identifies bacterial species based on their metabolic properties. It involves inoculating a bacterial sample into a series of biochemical tests and observing the reactions to determine the species. However, this method may take several days and may not be able to detect all bacterial species.

PCR, on the other hand, is a molecular technique that amplifies and detects specific DNA sequences. It can rapidly detect the presence of specific bacteria in a sample, and is highly sensitive and specific. PCR can detect even a small number of bacterial cells, and it can identify specific strains of bacteria, which is essential for epidemiological investigations.

Therefore, in this case, it is recommended to use PCR to identify the infectious agent responsible for the outbreak. This method will allow for rapid and accurate detection of the specific bacterial species involved, which is critical for determining the source of the outbreak and implementing appropriate control measures to prevent further spread.

Explanation:
Given the nature of the outbreak, it is likely that the infectious agent is one of the common food-poisoning bacteria such as Salmonella, Shigella, or pathogenic strains of E. coli.

To identify the specific bacterial species causing the outbreak, there are two options available: API-20E and PCR.

API-20E is a biochemical test that identifies bacterial species based on their metabolic properties. It involves inoculating a bacterial sample into a series of biochemical tests and observing the reactions to determine the species. However, this method may take several days and may not be able to detect all bacterial species.

PCR, on the other hand, is a molecular technique that amplifies and detects specific DNA sequences. It can rapidly detect the presence of specific bacteria in a sample, and is highly sensitive and specific. PCR can detect even a small number of bacterial cells, and it can identify specific strains of bacteria, which is essential for epidemiological investigations.

Therefore, in this case, it is recommended to use PCR to identify the infectious agent responsible for the outbreak. This method will allow for rapid and accurate detection of the specific bacterial species involved, which is critical for determining the source of the outbreak and implementing appropriate control measures to prevent further spread.