What if there was a simpler, more practical way to test for pathogens?

Almost 400 deaths and 20,000 hospitalisations were attributed to the foodborne bacteria Salmonella in 2013 according an estimate by the US Department of Agriculture. To these figures add the deaths, illness and general misery caused by other foodborne pathogens such as E. coli, Listeria and the like.

The suffering isn’t limited to physical suffering either — economists estimate that the treatment of all these patients and the related productivity losses cost more than $3 billion annually.

Current testing for pathogens in food is extensive and requires trained laboratory personnel and equipment. What if there was a simpler, more practical way to test for pathogens?

Je-Kyun Park and colleagues set out to find one and have reported their results in ACS’ journal Analytical Chemistry.

The researchers developed a simple, paper-based test that can handle the multistep reactions necessary for this kind of analysis by controlling the pore size of the paper. When dipped into solutions containing the E. coli strain O157:H7, Salmonella typhimurium or both, lines appeared on the dipstick indicating a positive result within 15 minutes. Because the method requires dipping the device into a solution once and produces an easy-to-read result, it could be performed by workers without special training, the researchers said.

The authors acknowledge funding from the Rural Development Administration of Korea and the National Research Foundation of Korea.