J Vet Sci.  2010 Dec;11(4):321-326. 10.4142/jvs.2010.11.4.321.

Detection of Escherichia coli O157 and Escherichia coli O157:H7 by the immunomagnetic separation technique and stx1 and stx2 genes by multiplex PCR in slaughtered cattle in Samsun Province, Turkey

• Inat G
• Siriken B

• KMID: 1072181
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4142/jvs.2010.11.4.321

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the presence of Escherichia (E.) coli O157 and E. coli O157:H7 and stx1 and stx2 genes on cattle carcasses and in rectal samples collected from Samsun Province of Turkey. A total of 200 samples collected from cattle carcasses and the rectal contents of 100 slaughtered cattle from two commercial abattoirs were tested using the immunomagnetic separation technique and multiplex PCR methods. E. coli O157 and E. coli O157:H7 were detected in 52 of the 200 samples (26%) tested. Of the positive samples, 49 were E. coli O157 and three were E. coli O157:H7. The E. coli O157 strain was isolated from 24 carcasses and 25 rectal samples, while E. coli O157:H7 was isolated from two carcasses and one rectal sample. Of the 49 samples positive for E. coli O157, 32 were from the rectal and carcass samples of the same animal, while two E. coli O157:H7 isolates were obtained from rectal swabs and carcasses of the same animal. The stx1 and stx2 genes were both detected in 35 E. coli O157 isolates and one E. coli O157:H7 isolate, but the stx2 gene was only detected alone in two E. coli O157 isolates. Overall, 16 carcasses tested positive for E. coli O157 and one carcass tested positive for E. coli O157:H7 based on both carcass and rectal samples. Overall, the results of this study indicate that cattle carcasses pose a potential risk to human health due to contamination by E. coli O157 and E. coli O157:H7 in the feces.

Keyword

carcass; cattle; E. coli O157; E. coli O157:H7; rectum; stx1; stx2

MeSH Terms

Abattoirs
Animals
Cattle
Escherichia coli O157/*genetics/isolation & purification
*Immunomagnetic Separation
Meat/microbiology
*Polymerase Chain Reaction
Rectum/microbiology
Shiga Toxin 1/*genetics
Shiga Toxin 2/*genetics
Turkey

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Amplification products of stx1 and stx2 genes in E. coli O157 and O157:H7 identified by multiplex PCR. Lane M: Marker (100~1,000 bp).

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  Fig. 2 The determination of stx1 and stx2 genes of E. coli O157 and O157:H7 by multiplex PCR. Lane M: Marker (100~1,000 bp), Lane K: positive control (E. coli O157:H7 ATCC 43895).

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