Method for detecting viable cells in a sample by using a virus
A method for detecting viable cells such as bacterial cells, within a sample, said method comprising (i) incubating said sample with a virus which is able to infect said cells under conditions which allow said virus to infect and replicate within any such cells which are viable; and (ii) detecting any nucleic acid obtained by replication of the virus in said cell.
1. A method for detecting viable bacterial cells within a sample, the method comprising:
i) incubating the sample with a wild type virus specific for the cells, under conditions which allow the virus to infect and replicate within any such cells which are viable;
ii) detecting an increase in the amount of a nucleic acid obtained by replication of the virus in the cells using quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction; and
iii) correlating the increase in the nucleic acid detected in step (ii) with the presence of the viable bacterial cells in the sample.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the virus is a DNA or RNA virus and the nucleic acid detected in step (ii) occurs within the virus.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein before detection in step (ii) any intact cells within the sample are lysed.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sample is a food or clinical sample.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the virus is a bacteriophage.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cell is an E. coli, Salmonella, Listeria, Campylobacter, Legionella, Mycobacterium, Staphylococcus or Streptococcus.