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Protocol for Detection of Yersinia pestis in Environmental Samples During the Remediation Phase of a Plague Incident
Citation:
U.S. EPA. Protocol for Detection of Yersinia pestis in Environmental Samples During the Remediation Phase of a Plague Incident . U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, 2016.
Impact/Purpose:
This is the first ever open-access and detailed protocol available to all government departments and agencies, and their contractors to detect Yersinia pestis, the pathogen that causes plague, from multiple environmental sample types including water. Each analytical method includes sample processing procedure for each sample type in a step-by-step manner. It includes real-time PCR, traditional microbiological culture, and the Rapid Viability PCR (RV-PCR) analytical methods. For large volume water samples it also includes an ultra-filtration-based sample concentration procedure. Because of such a non-restrictive availability of this protocol to all government departments and agencies, and their contractors, the nation will now have increased laboratory capacity to analyze large number of samples during a wide-area plague incident.
Description:
Methods Report