The local health agency received reports of a Salmonella outbreak among attendees at a chili cook-off. To investigate, the agency would use molecular identification techniques like FISH or ERIC-PCR to establish that gastroenteritis was caused by Salmonella. They would also use molecular phylogenetic techniques like 16S rRNA sequencing or MLST to determine if attendees were infected by the same Salmonella strain.
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The local public health agency has received reports of an outbreak o.pdf
1. The local public health agency has received reports of an outbreak of Salmonella gastroenteritis
among attendees at a city-sponsored chili cook-off. What techniques from recombinant DNA
technology would the agency likely use to investigate this outbreak? Describe the expected
results from these techniques.
Solution
Please note that the investigation of the outbreak would require molecular biology techniques,
not recombinant DNA technology!
There would be two steps in the investigation:
1. Establishing that the gastroenteritis is due to Salmonella: Molecular identification techniques
such as FISH (Fluorescence in situ hybridization) or Enterobacterial Repetitive Intergenic
Consensus (ERIC)-PCR can be used.
2. Establishing that the Salmonella among the attendees is of the same strain: Molecular
phylogenetic techniques such as 16S rRNA sequencing or MLST (Multilocus Sequence Typing)
can be used.