Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. has announced the launch of the iQ-Check Vibrio Real-Time PCR Detection Kit, a fast and accurate method to detect the three main Vibrio species that cause vibriosis, a disease linked to approximately 80,000 illnesses in the U.S. every year.

The presence of three Vibrio species in particular: V. cholerae, V. parahaemolyticus, and V. vulnificus, in raw or undercooked seafood, represents a serious threat to human health as they can cause human illness in the intestinal tract. Unfortunately, the standard reference method used to determine the presence of Vibrio is labor-intensive. Further, it can take up to seven days to get test results. While real-time PCR methods offer quicker turnaround times, these methods can be prone to false positives due to free DNA found in the sample.

The iQ-Check Vibrio Real-Time PCR Detection Kit provides seafood companies and laboratories that test for food pathogens with a faster, more accurate alternative. The process uses the Vibrio Enrichment Broth that promotes the growth of Vibrio while inhibiting associated competitive flora. The broth shortens culture times from 18 to eight hours, and the entire detection process can be completed within 11 hours.

The iQ-Check Vibrio Kit reduces false positives by using Bio-Rad’s Free DNA Removal Solution that eliminates free DNA from the sample and provides specialized probes and primers that help prevent nonspecific DNA amplification. A synthetic DNA internal control is included in the iQ-Check Vibrio Kit reaction mix to validate any possible negative results.

The kit is also well suited for laboratories with high throughput demands. As part of their workflow, they may use Bio-Rad’s iQ-Check Prep Automation System, which automates DNA extraction and PCR plate setup and can process more than 500 samples in an eight-hour shift.

Please visit www.bio-rad.com/vibrio to learn more.

Bio-Rad is a trademark of Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. in certain jurisdictions and iQ-Check is a trademark of Bio-Rad Europe GmbH in certain jurisdictions.