Quantitative microbial pathogen

WestreU, T., Schormingen, C., Stenstrom, T.A., Ashbolt, NJ., 2004. QMRA (quantitative microbial risk assessment) and HACCP (hazard analysis and critical control points) for management of pathogens in wastewater and sewage sludge treatment and reuse. Water Science and Technology 2, 23—30. 

Under psycho-physical, dietary, and environmental stress conditions, or after medication intake, there is an imbalance of microflora that makes the body susceptible to attack by pathogens. A proper diet is one of the main factors that influence the qualitative and quantitative composition of intestinal microflora. The most common approach involves the consumption of traditional foods, such as yogurt and fermented milk, which essentially contain probiotics, defined as live microorganisms, which can positively affect the host by improving its intestinal microbial balance. 

ELISAs can be used in two modes, qualitatively to determine the presence or absence, or quantitatively to determine the amount of antigen present. ELISA kits often depend on the adsorption of either the antibody or antigen to a solid phase, e.g., wells of a microtiter plate, surface of plastic beads, or plastic stick. The choice of antibody (or antibodies) used determines the specificity of the ELISA assay, which can range from genus-specific to strain-specific. The principle on which ELISA methods are based usually prevents them from being used for the determination of total microbial counts. However, they can be used to detect pathogens such as Salmonella spp.. Listeria spp. 

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