Highly specific and sensitive methods for detecting enterohemorrhagic escherichia coli serotypes o157:h7 and/or o145:h28

A method of detecting E.coli serotype O157:H7 in a sample, the method comprising:

• (a) obtaining a sample;
• (b) detecting whether E.coli serotype O157:H7 is present in the sample by performing an amplification reaction using at least one oligonucleotide as an amplification primer, wherein the oligonucleotide has a nucleotide sequence that is at least 80% identical to a nucleotide sequence of the same length within SEQ ID NO:
• 10, or to the complement of the nucleotide sequence of the same length;
• and
• (c) determining the presence of a E.coli serotype O157:H7 in the sample.

A method of detecting E.coli serotype O145:H28 in a sample, the method comprising:

• (a) obtaining a sample;
• (b) detecting whether E.coli serotype O145:H28 is present in the sample by performing an amplification reaction using at least one oligonucleotide as an amplification primer, wherein the oligonucleotide has a nucleotide sequence that is at least 80% identical to a nucleotide sequence of the same length within SEQ ID NO:
• 11, or to the complement of the nucleotide sequence of the same length;
• and
• (c) determining the presence of a E.coli serotype O145:H28 in the sample.