Characterization of Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli isolated from meat products sold in San Luis, Argentina

MILIWEBSKY, ELIZABETH; MATTAR, MARÍA AÍDA; FAVIER, GABRIELA ISABEL; CORTIÑAS, TERESA INÉS; ZOLEZZI, GISELA; ESCUDERO, MARÍA ESTHER; VEGA, ALBA EDITH; CARBONARI, CAROLINA; SALINAS IBÁÑEZ, ÁNGEL GABRIEL; STAGNITTA, PATRICIA VIRGINIA; LUCERO ESTRADA, CECILIA

JOURNAL OF FOOD SAFETY

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2018

0149-6085

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in meat products was studied by four procedures which combined enrichment, immunomagnetic separation (IMS), plating, and a stx screening polymerase chain reaction. A total of 167 samples (57 ground beef, 58 fresh sausages, and 52 precooked sausages) were collected from retail markets in San Luis, Argentina. The number of stxpositive samples represented 11.4% of the total (19/167) distributed as follows: seven for rawground beef (12.3%), six for precooked sausages (11.5%), and six for fresh sausages (10.3%). The stx-positive sample rate increased when IMS was included in detection protocols. The stx2 gene (16/19) was more frequently detected than stx1 (4/19). The eae, rfbEO157, and fliCh7 genes were also investigated in stx-positive samples. Three non-O157 STEC strains were isolated from one precooked sausage and one fresh sausage (1.2%, 2/167). Their potential pathogenicity, antimicrobial susceptibility, and genetic diversity were determined. This study highlights meat products as possible vehicles for transmission of STEC in this Argentine region.