Occurrence, virulence genes and antibiotic resistance of Escherichia coli O157 isolated from raw bovine, caprine and ovine milk in Greece

Food Microbiol. 2009 Dec;26(8):865-71. doi: 10.1016/j.fm.2009.06.002. Epub 2009 Jun 10.

Abstract

The examination of 2005 raw bovine (n = 950), caprine (n = 460) and ovine (n = 595) bulk milk samples collected throughout several regions in Greece for the presence of Escherichia coli serogroup O157 resulted in the isolation of 29 strains (1.4%) of which 21 were isolated from bovine (2.2%), 3 from caprine (0.7%) and 5 from ovine (0.8%) milk. Out of the 29 E. coli O157 isolates, only 12 (41.4%) could be classified as Shiga-toxigenic based on immunoassay and PCR results. All 12 Shiga-toxigenic E. coli serogroup O157 isolates belonged to the E. coli O157:H7 serotype. All except one of the 12 Shiga-toxin positive isolates were stx(2)-positive, five of which were also stx(1)-positive. The remaining isolate was positive only for the stx(1) gene. All stx-positive isolates (whether positive for stx(1), stx(2) or stx(1) and stx(2)) were also PCR-positive for the eae and ehxA genes. The remaining 17 E. coli O157 isolates (58.6%) were negative for the presence of the H7 flagellar gene by PCR, tested negative for Shiga-toxin production both by immunoassay and PCR, and among these, only four and three strains were PCR-positive for the eae and ehxA genes, respectively. All 29 E. coli O157 isolates displayed resistance to a wide range of antimicrobials, with the stx-positive isolates being, on average, resistant to a higher number of antibiotics than those which were stx-negative.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
  • Cattle
  • Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial / genetics*
  • Escherichia coli O157 / drug effects
  • Escherichia coli O157 / genetics
  • Escherichia coli O157 / isolation & purification
  • Escherichia coli O157 / pathogenicity*
  • Food Contamination / analysis*
  • Food Microbiology
  • Goats
  • Greece
  • Humans
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Milk / microbiology*
  • Prevalence
  • Sheep
  • Shiga Toxins / genetics*
  • Virulence Factors / genetics*

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Shiga Toxins
  • Virulence Factors