Performance evaluation of the Simtomax® CoronaCheck rapid diagnostic test

The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of Simtomax® CoronaCheck, a serology rapid diagnostic test (RDT) for the detection of IgG and IgM against SARS-CoV-2. 48 plasma samples positive for SARS-CoV-2 based on RT-PCR and 98 negative control samples were studied. Diagnostic performance of the IgG/IgM RDT was assessed against RT-PCR and the electro-chemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA) Elecsys® Anti-SARS-CoV-2 total Ig. Overall, the RDT sensitivity was 92 % (95 % confidence interval [95 %CI]: 79−97), specificity 97 % (95 % CI: 91−99 %), PPV 94 % (95 % CI: 81−98) and the NPV 96 % (95 % CI: 89−99). When considering only samples collected ≥ 15 days post-symptoms (DPS), the sensitivity increased to 98 % (95 %CI: 86‐100) and the specificity was 97 % (95 % CI: 91−99 %). Two samples with 180 DPS were still positive for IgG. Globally, this IgG/IgM RDT displayed a high diagnostic accuracy for SARS‐CoV‐2 IgG/IgM detection in plasma samples in high COVID‐19 prevalence settings. It could be effectively used, in absence of facilities for routine diagnostic serology, for samples with a DPS between 15 and 180 days

Rapid detection of bacillus ionophore cereulide in food products

Cereulide is a toxic cyclic depsipeptide produced by certain strains of Bacillus cereus found in soil and food products. While some harmless strains of Bacillus are used as probiotic, others can cause nausea and vomiting, and represent an important food safety concern. Current detection methods are time consuming and do not necessarily detect toxic cereulide. Here, we developed a rapid protocol using Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization-Time of Flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry that detects the toxin originating from a colony smear of B. cereus. The distinct molecular feature of the toxin peak at m/z 1,191 was clearly identified from bacterial extracts with a limit of detection (LOD) of 30 ng/mL. Final optimisation of the sample preparation was based on cereulide chelating cations to produce the alkali adduct [M + K]+ without the use of a MALDI matrix, and provided a 1,000-fold improvement of LOD with 30 pg/mL of cereulide. We evaluated the application of this method for the detection of cereulide in rice, milk, and different ready-to-eat meals. The proposed protocol is quick, easy and provides an improvement over conventional methods for the detection of B. cereus toxin