Products and services

The EcL offers an attractive range of tests allowing a rapid and comprehensive identification, using the most up-to-date molecular techniques, of all known pathogenic E. coli isolated either directly from any of the different animal species and from humans or from environmental samples, such as water, soil, effluent, sludge, organic wastes, contaminated foods such as meat, fruits, and vegetables, and their products. This identification can also be used to confirm that a particular strain is not pathogenic and is thus safe for use in an industrial process or therapeutic product.

Presence of E. coli in an environmental sample is an indication of fecal contamination originating from humans or animals. More importantly, the presence of pathogenic E. coli in such samples is an indication that this contamination is a possible health risk, due to the capacity of these bacteria to cause disease (Tables in Pathogenic E. coli - Virulence factors and serogroups). Also, because some pathogenic E. coli are only associated with specific animal species, their presence in an environmental sample is a very good indicator of the source of the fecal contamination.