Comparison of results from Shiga toxin-producing <i>E. coli</i> (STEC) O-group-specific (O103, O145, O157, O26) commercial latex agglutination screening tests and a multiplex PCR confirmatory test to detect 8 major STEC O-groups (O103, O111, O113, O121, O145, O157, O26, O45) used to serotype isolates cultured from fecal samples by selective enrichment and serogroup-specific (O103, O145, O157, O26) immunomagnetic separation (IMS).

a<p>All isolates were <i>stx</i>1 and <i>stx</i>2 negative.</p>b<p>Ten <i>eae</i>+ isolates classified as O103 by latex agglutination screening and negative by multiplex STEC PCR belonged to serotypes O114 (n = 1), O123 (n = 2), O126 (n = 1), O128 (n = 1), O167 (n = 1), O64 (n = 1) and O- (n = 3) using O-antisera.</p>c<p>Two <i>eae</i>+ isolates classified as O145 by latex agglutination screening and negative by multiplex STEC PCR belonged to serotypes O153 (n = 1) and O- (n = 1) using O-antisera.</p>d<p>Serotyping using O-antisera was not performed on isolates (n = 187) negative for virulence factors and not belonging to STEC O-groups identified by multiplex PCR.</p><p>Comparison of results from Shiga toxin-producing <i>E. coli</i> (STEC) O-group-specific (O103, O145, O157, O26) commercial latex agglutination screening tests and a multiplex PCR confirmatory test to detect 8 major STEC O-groups (O103, O111, O113, O121, O145, O157, O26, O45) used to serotype isolates cultured from fecal samples by selective enrichment and serogroup-specific (O103, O145, O157, O26) immunomagnetic separation (IMS).