Occurrence and virulence factors of non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in retail meat in Dunedin, New Zealand

H J Brooks; B D Mollison; K A Bettelheim; K Matejka; K A Paterson; V K Ward

doi:10.1046/j.1472-765x.2001.00868.x

Occurrence and virulence factors of non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in retail meat in Dunedin, New Zealand

Lett Appl Microbiol. 2001 Feb;32(2):118-22. doi: 10.1046/j.1472-765x.2001.00868.x.

Authors

H J Brooks¹, B D Mollison, K A Bettelheim, K Matejka, K A Paterson, V K Ward

Affiliation

¹ Department of Microbiology, Otago School of Medical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. [email protected]

PMID: 11169055
DOI: 10.1046/j.1472-765x.2001.00868.x

Abstract

Retail raw meat was sampled for the presence of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) using enrichment culture and Vero cell assay. The STEC obtained were serotyped and tested for enterohaemolysin (Ehly) production and the eae gene. The presence of Shiga toxin genes (stx) was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction. A total of 18 STEC were isolated accounting for 12% of beef, 17% of lamb and 4% of pork samples. Five isolates produced Ehly but none possessed the eae gene. Five isolates were identified which possessed the stx2 gene and belonged to serotypes associated with severe infection.

MeSH terms

Adhesins, Bacterial*
Animals
Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / genetics
Carrier Proteins*
Cattle
Chickens
Escherichia coli / classification
Escherichia coli / genetics
Escherichia coli / isolation & purification*
Escherichia coli / pathogenicity*
Escherichia coli Proteins*
Genes, Bacterial
Hemolysin Proteins / biosynthesis
Meat / microbiology*
New Zealand
Serotyping
Sheep
Shiga Toxins / biosynthesis*
Shiga Toxins / genetics
Swine
Virulence

Substances

Adhesins, Bacterial
Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins
Carrier Proteins
Escherichia coli Proteins
Hemolysin Proteins
Shiga Toxins
enterohemolysin
eaeA protein, E coli