A polymyxin-cloth enzyme immunoassay (polymyxin-CEIA) was developed for the detection of the foodborne pathogen Escherichia coli O157. This simple assay utilized inexpensive polymyxin-coated polyester cloth as an adsorbent for E. coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) antigens present in test samples such as enrichment cultures of ground beef. Captured LPS was immunoenzymatically defected using commercially available anti-O157 polyclonal antibodies. The assay was sensitive and highly specific for strains bearing the O157 and related antigens, and permitted the detection of c. 1-10 cfus spiked into ground beef samples after a brief enrichment in double modified trypticase soy broth. We suggest that the polymyxin-CEIA will provide a simple, rapid and inexpensive screening method for E. coli O157 in ground beef. (C) 1996 Academic Press Limited