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Sample records for escherichia coli stec

  1. Comparative Genomics and Characterization of Hybrid Shigatoxigenic and Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC/ETEC) Strains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nyholm, Outi; Halkilahti, Jani; Wiklund, Gudrun; Okeke, Uche; Paulin, Lars; Auvinen, Petri; Haukka, Kaisa; Siitonen, Anja

    2015-01-01

    Shigatoxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC) and enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) cause serious foodborne infections in humans. These two pathogroups are defined based on the pathogroup-associated virulence genes: stx encoding Shiga toxin (Stx) for STEC and elt encoding heat-labile and/or est encoding heat-stable enterotoxin (ST) for ETEC. The study investigated the genomics of STEC/ETEC hybrid strains to determine their phylogenetic position among E. coli and to define the virulence genes they harbor. The whole genomes of three STEC/ETEC strains possessing both stx and est genes were sequenced using PacBio RS sequencer. Two of the strains were isolated from the patients, one with hemolytic uremic syndrome, and one with diarrhea. The third strain was of bovine origin. Core genome analysis of the shared chromosomal genes and comparison with E. coli and Shigella spp. reference genomes was performed to determine the phylogenetic position of the STEC/ETEC strains. In addition, a set of virulence genes and ETEC colonization factors were extracted from the genomes. The production of Stx and ST were studied. The human STEC/ETEC strains clustered with strains representing ETEC, STEC, enteroaggregative E. coli, and commensal and laboratory-adapted E. coli. However, the bovine STEC/ETEC strain formed a remote cluster with two STECs of bovine origin. All three STEC/ETEC strains harbored several other virulence genes, apart from stx and est, and lacked ETEC colonization factors. Two STEC/ETEC strains produced both toxins and one strain Stx only. This study shows that pathogroup-associated virulence genes of different E. coli can co-exist in strains originating from different phylogenetic lineages. The possibility of virulence genes to be associated with several E. coli pathogroups should be taken into account in strain typing and in epidemiological surveillance. Development of novel hybrid E. coli strains may cause a new public health risk, which challenges the traditional diagnostics

  2. Comparative Genomics and Characterization of Hybrid Shigatoxigenic and Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC/ETEC Strains.

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    Outi Nyholm

    Full Text Available Shigatoxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC and enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC cause serious foodborne infections in humans. These two pathogroups are defined based on the pathogroup-associated virulence genes: stx encoding Shiga toxin (Stx for STEC and elt encoding heat-labile and/or est encoding heat-stable enterotoxin (ST for ETEC. The study investigated the genomics of STEC/ETEC hybrid strains to determine their phylogenetic position among E. coli and to define the virulence genes they harbor.The whole genomes of three STEC/ETEC strains possessing both stx and est genes were sequenced using PacBio RS sequencer. Two of the strains were isolated from the patients, one with hemolytic uremic syndrome, and one with diarrhea. The third strain was of bovine origin. Core genome analysis of the shared chromosomal genes and comparison with E. coli and Shigella spp. reference genomes was performed to determine the phylogenetic position of the STEC/ETEC strains. In addition, a set of virulence genes and ETEC colonization factors were extracted from the genomes. The production of Stx and ST were studied.The human STEC/ETEC strains clustered with strains representing ETEC, STEC, enteroaggregative E. coli, and commensal and laboratory-adapted E. coli. However, the bovine STEC/ETEC strain formed a remote cluster with two STECs of bovine origin. All three STEC/ETEC strains harbored several other virulence genes, apart from stx and est, and lacked ETEC colonization factors. Two STEC/ETEC strains produced both toxins and one strain Stx only.This study shows that pathogroup-associated virulence genes of different E. coli can co-exist in strains originating from different phylogenetic lineages. The possibility of virulence genes to be associated with several E. coli pathogroups should be taken into account in strain typing and in epidemiological surveillance. Development of novel hybrid E. coli strains may cause a new public health risk, which challenges the

  3. Evaluation of beef trim sampling methods for detection of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Presence of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is a major concern in ground beef. Several methods for sampling beef trim prior to grinding are currently used in the beef industry. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of the sampling methods for detecting STEC in beef ...

  4. Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC: principal virulence factors and epidemiology Escherichia coli produtora de toxina shiga (STEC: principais fatores de virulência e dados epidemiológicos

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    Halha Ostrensky Saridakis

    2007-10-01

    Full Text Available Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli is an important food borne pathogen, mainly beef products, and is associated to mild and severe bloody diarrhea. In some individuals, STEC infection can progress to hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS, a sequela characterized by renal failure, and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP, with possible central nervous system involvement. Cattle, usually healthy, is the principal reservoir of STEC, although these strains have also been isolated from other domestic animals: sheep, goats, dogs, cats and pigs. The principal virulence feature, the production of Shiga toxins, is not enough to cause diseases, and other factors are considered important, as enterohemolysin and fimbrial and afimbrial adhesions production. Although human diseases associated to STEC have not been frequently reported in Brazil, their presence is frequent in cattle, as well as the correlation between serotypes found in these animals and human patients. Escherichia coli produtora de toxina Shiga (STEC é um importante patógeno veiculado por alimentos, principalmente produtos derivados de carne bovina e está associado a quadros de diarréias leves a severas e sanguinolentas. Em alguns indivíduos, a infecção por STEC pode progredir para a síndrome hemolítico-urêmica (HUS, seqüela caracterizada pela falência renal e a púrpura trombocitopênica trombótica (TTP, com possível envolvimento do sistema nervoso central. O gado bovino, geralmente saudável, é o principal reservatório de STEC, embora estas cepas também tenham sido isoladas de outros animais domésticos: ovelhas, cabras, cães, gatos e suínos. A principal característica de virulência, a produção de toxinas Shiga, não é suficiente para causar doenças e outros fatores são considerados relevantes, como a produção de enterohemolisina e de adesinas fimbriais e afimbriais. Embora as doenças humanas associadas a STEC sejam pouco descritas no Brasil, podemos observar

  5. In vivo screening platform for shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model.

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    Su-Bin Hwang

    Full Text Available Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC strains are the main cause of bacillary dysentery, although STEC strains generally induce milder disease symptoms compared to Shigella species. This study aimed to determine the virulence of STEC using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as a model host. Worm killing, fertility and bacterial colonisation assays were performed to examine the potential difference in the virulence of STEC strains compared to that of the control E. coli OP50 strains on which worms were fed. A statistically significant difference in the survival rates of C. elegans was observed in that the STEC strains caused death in 8-10 days and the E. coli OP50 strains caused death in 15 days. STEC strains severely reduced the fertility of the worms. The intestinal load of bacteria in the adult stage nematodes harbouring the E. coli OP50 strains was found to be 3.5 log CFU mL-1. In contrast, the STEC strains E15, E18 and E22 harboured 4.1, 4.2 and 4.7 log CFU ml-1 per nematode, respectively. The heat-killed STEC strains significantly increased the longevity of the worms compared to the non-heated STEC strains. In addition, PCR-based genomic profiling of shiga toxin genes, viz., stx1 and stx2, identified in selected STEC strains revealed that these toxins may be associated with the virulence of the STEC strains. This study demonstrated that C. elegans is an effective model to examine and compare the pathogenicity and virulence variation of STEC strains to that of E. coli OP50 strains.

  6. Classification of shiga toxin-producing escherichia coli (STEC) serotypes with hyperspectral microscope imagery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Non-O157:H7 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains such as O26, O45, O103, O111, O121 and O145 are recognized as serious outbreak to cause human illness due to their toxicity. Since a conventional microbiological method for cell counting is laborious and time-consuming process, optica...

  7. VIABILIDADE DE Escherichia coli PRODUTORA DE TOXINA SHIGA (STEC NÃO-O157 EM QUEIJO TIPO MINAS FRESCAL. VIABILITY OF NON-O157 SHIGA TOXIN-PRODUCING Escherichia coli (STEC IN MINAS FRESCAL CHEESE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tammy Priscila Chioda

    2009-07-01

    Full Text Available Escherichia coli, produtora de toxina Shiga (STEC, um patógeno emergente capaz de causar diarreia, colite hemorrágica e síndrome hemolítica urêmica em humanos, representa um grave problema de saúde pública em todo o mundo. O principal reservatório de STEC são os bovinos. STEC são transmitidas aos humanos, principalmente através de alimentos contaminados, destacando-se aqueles de origem bovina como carne, leite e seus derivados. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a viabilidade de STEC não-O157 em queijo minas frescal preparado com leite artificialmente contaminado com diferentes cepas dessas bactérias. Os queijos foram mantidos a 4°C e analisados no 1º, 2º, 4º, 6º e 10º dias de estocagem. As cepas de STEC mantiveram-se viáveis em 100% (32/32 dos queijos mantidos sob refrigeração por até dez dias. Os resultados mostram que o queijo minas pode ser veículo de transmissão de STEC. Recomenda-se a adoção de métodos higiênicos e sanitários desde a ordenha até o processo de produção do queijo para reduzir a possibilidade de contaminação com STEC.

    PALAVRAS-CHAVES: PCR, queijo minas, segurança alimentar, STEC.

    Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC an emergent foodborne pathogen that cause diarrhea, hemorrhagic colitis and haemolytic uremic syndrome in humans, represents a public health problem all over the world. Cattle are the main source of STEC. STEC are transmitted to humans by contaminated food, mainly those of bovine origin as meat and dairy products. This study aimed evaluates the non-O157 STEC viability of artificially inoculated in the milk used for the Minas Frescal cheese’s production. The cheese was kept at 4°C and analyzed at 1st, 2nd, 4th, 6th and 10th days after its production. 100% (32/32 of the cheese storad under refrigeration during 10 days had been the STEC strains viable. These results show that minas frescal cheese can transmit STEC. The adoption of good

  8. Hybrids of Shigatoxigenic and Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC/ETEC) Among Human and Animal Isolates in Finland.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nyholm, O; Heinikainen, S; Pelkonen, S; Hallanvuo, S; Haukka, K; Siitonen, A

    2015-11-01

    Diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli (DEC) cause serious foodborne infections in humans. Total of 450 Shigatoxigenic E. coli (STEC) strains isolated from humans, animals and environment in Finland were examined by multiplex PCR targeting the virulence genes of various DEC pathogroups simultaneously. One per cent (3/291) of the human STEC and 14% (22/159) of the animal and environmental STEC had genes typically present in enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC). The strains possessed genes encoding both Shiga toxin 1 and/or 2 (stx1 and/or stx2 ) and ETEC-specific heat-stable (ST) enterotoxin Ia (estIa). The identified stx subtypes were stx1a, stx1c, stx2a, stx2d and stx2g. The three human STEC/ETEC strains were isolated from the patients with haemolytic uraemic syndrome and diarrhoea and from an asymptomatic carrier. The animal STEC/ETEC strains were isolated from cattle and moose. The human and animal STEC/ETEC strains belonged to 11 serotypes, of which O2:H27, O15:H16, O101:H-, O128:H8 and O141:H8 have previously been described to be associated with human disease. Identification of multiple virulence genes offers further information for assessing the virulence potential of STEC and other DEC. The emergence of novel hybrid pathogens should be taken into account in the patient care and epidemiological surveillance. © 2015 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

  9. Thermal inactivation of Escherichia coli 0157:H7 (ECOH) and non-0157 Shiga toxin-producing E.coli (STEC)in mechanically tenderized veal

    Science.gov (United States)

    We quantified thermal destruction of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 (ECOH) and Shiga toxin-producing non-O157 E. coli (STEC) cells within mechanically tenderized veal cutlets following cooking on an electric skillet. For each of five trials, flattened veal cutlets (ca. 71.6 g; ca. 1/...

  10. Genetic characterization of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and atypical enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) isolates from goat's milk and goat farm environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Álvarez-Suárez, María-Elena; Otero, Andrés; García-López, María-Luisa; Dahbi, Ghizlane; Blanco, Miguel; Mora, Azucena; Blanco, Jorge; Santos, Jesús A

    2016-11-07

    The aim of this study was to characterize a collection of 44 Shiga toxin-producing (STEC) and enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) isolated from goat milk and goat farm environment. Of the 19 STEC isolates, five (26.3%) carried the stx1 gene, four (21.1%) the stx2 gene and 10 (52.6%) presented both stx genes. Six (31.6%) STEC strains were eae-positive and belonged to serotypes related to severe human disease (O157:H7 and O5:HNM). Another seven STEC strains were of serotype O146:H21 and three of serotype O166:H28, also linked to human disease. The STEC strains isolated from goat milk were of serotypes potentially pathogenic for humans. All the 25 EPEC isolates were considered atypical (aEPEC) and one aEPEC strain was of serotype O26:H11, a serotype frequently isolated in children with diarrhea. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was carried out with seven housekeeping genes and 23 sequence types (ST) were detected, 14 of them newly described. Twelve STs grouped STEC isolates and 11 STs grouped EPEC isolates. Genetic typing by pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) resulted in 38 patterns which grouped in 10 clusters. Well-defined groups were also observed for strains of pathogenic serotypes. In conclusion, strains of STEC and aEPEC belonging to serotypes related to severe human disease have been detected in goat milk and the goat farm environment. Ruminants are an important reservoir of STEC strains and the role of these animals as carriers of other pathogenic types of E. coli seems to be an emerging concern. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. 77 FR 9888 - Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-02-21

    ... Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli in Certain Raw Beef Products AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service... toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) serogroups (O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145). This new date..., that are contaminated with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O26, O45, O103, O111, O121...

  12. Emergence of Escherichia coli encoding Shiga toxin 2f in human Shiga toxin-producing E-coli (STEC) infections in the Netherlands, January 2008 to December 2011

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Friesema, I.; van der Zwaluw, K.; Schuurman, T.; Kooistra-Smid, M.; Franz, E.; van Duynhoven, Y.; van Pelt, W.

    2014-01-01

    The Shiga toxins of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) can be divided into Shiga toxin 1 (Stx1) and Shiga toxin 2 (Stx2) with several sub-variants. Variant Stx(2f) is one of the latest described, but has been rarely associated with symptomatic human infections. In the enhanced STEC

  13. Classification of non-O157 shiga toxin-producing escherichia coli(STEC) serotypes with hyperspectral microscope imaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    Non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains such as O26, O45, O103, O111, O121 and O145 are recognized as serious outbreak to cause human illness due to their toxicity. A conventional microbiological method for cell counting is laborious and needs long time for the results. Since ...

  14. [Occurrence of Salmonella spp. and shigatoxin-producing escherichia coli (STEC) in horse faeces and horse meat products].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pichner, Rohtraud; Sander, Andrea; Steinrück, Hartmut; Gareis, Manfred

    2005-01-01

    In order to assess the relevance of horses as a possible reservoir of Salmonella and Shigatoxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), 400 samples of horse faeces and 100 samples of horse meat products were examined by PCR-screening methods. Salmonella enterica was not found in any of the samples. One faeces-sample and one horse meat product were proved to be STEC positive. The STEC-strain from faecal origin belonged to the serotype 0113:H21 and had the stx 2c gene and the enterohemolysin gene. The STEC-strain isolated from a horse meat product had the serotype O87:H16 and the stx 2d gene. The results indicate a very low risk for human to get a Salmonella- or EHEC- infection from horses in Germany.

  15. Molecular screening of bovine raw milk for the presence of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC on dairy farms

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    Tatiane Vendramin

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Milkborne transmission of Shiga toxin- producing Escherichia coli (STEC has raised considerable concern due to recent outbreaks worldwide and poses a threat to public health. The aim of this study was to develop a sensitive and specific multiplex PCR assay to detect the presence of STEC in bovine raw milk. To identify E. coli (ATCC 25922 contamination, the gene uspA was used, and PCR sensitivity and specificity were accessed by testing diluted samples ranging from 2 to 2.0 × 10(6 CFU/mL. To detect STEC, the stx1 and stx2 genes were selected as targets. After reaction standardization, the multiplex assay was tested in raw milk collected from 101 cows on dairy farms. PCR assay for E. coli detection had a specificity of 100% and sensitivity of 79% (P<0.0001, with a lower detection limit of 2 CFU/mL. Multiplex PCR assay had 100% sensitivity for E. coli positive raw milk samples, and 31.1% were contaminated with STEC, 28.3% of stx2, and 1.9% of stx1. The multiplex PCR assay described in the present study can be employed to identify and screen E. coli harboring stx1 and stx2 genes in raw milk on dairy farms and in industries.

  16. Distribution and detection of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) during an industrial grinding process of beef trim

    Science.gov (United States)

    During the grinding and packaging processes, it is important to understand how Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) would be distributed and how well it could be detected in beef trim. This study is important because it shows what would happen if contaminated meat is allowed into a commerc...

  17. Genotypes and phenotypes of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC in Abeokuta, Southwestern Nigeria

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    Olowe OA

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Olugbenga Adekunle Olowe,1 Bukola W Aboderin,1,2 Olayinka O Idris,3 Victor O Mabayoje,4 Oluyinka O Opaleye,1 O Catherine Adekunle,1 Rita Ayanbolade Olowe,1 Paul Akinniyi Akinduti,5 Olusola Ojurongbe1 1Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, College of Health Sciences, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria; 2Medical Microbiology Unit, Pathology Department, Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, Nigeria; 3Department of Microbiology, College of Sciences, Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, Nigeria; 4Department of Haematology, College of Health Sciences, Ladoke Akintola University, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria; 5Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, Nigeria Purpose: To characterize the prevalence of hemolytic Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC with a multidrug-resistant pattern in different age groups in Abeokuta, Nigeria. Methods: Nonrepetitive E. coli isolates were collected from 202 subjects with or without evidence of diarrhea. Each isolate was biochemically identified and antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using the disk diffusion method. A sorbitol fermentation test of all the E. coli isolates was done and the minimum inhibitory concentration of suspected STEC was measured by the standard broth microdilution method to determine antibiotic resistance. The genotypes of stx1, stx2, and hlyA were determined by polymerase chain reaction assay. Results: The majority of subjects were aged ≥40 years (41.6% and were female (61.9%. Of the 202 subjects, 86.1% had STEC isolates (P<0.05. A high rate of STEC isolates resistant to amoxicillin (90.6%, cefotaxime (77.7%, and cefuroxime (75.7% was observed. Resistance to amoxicillin, gentamicin, and cefotaxime was demonstrated with a minimum inhibitory concentration >16 µg/mL in 13.9%, 11.4%, and 10.4% of the isolates, respectively. The prevalence of stx1, stx2, and hlyA was 13.9%, 6.9%, and 2.0%, respectively; 5.5% of

  18. Colonization of Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in chickens and humans in southern Vietnam

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Trung, Nguyen Vinh; Nhung, Hoang Ngoc; Carrique-Mas, Juan J.; Mai, Ho Huynh; Tuyen, Ha Thanh; Campbell, James; Nhung, Nguyen Thi; van Minh, Pham; Wagenaar, Jaap A.; Mai, Nguyen Thi Nhu; Hieu, Thai Quoc; Schultsz, Constance; Hoa, Ngo Thi

    2016-01-01

    Enteroaggregative (EAEC) and Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are a major cause of diarrhea worldwide. E. coli carrying both virulence factors characteristic for EAEC and STEC and producing extended-spectrum beta-lactamase caused severe and protracted disease during an outbreak of E.

  19. Development of a High Resolution Virulence Allelic Profiling (HReVAP) Approach Based on the Accessory Genome of Escherichia coli to Characterize Shiga-Toxin Producing E. coli (STEC)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Michelacci, Valeria; Orsini, Massimiliano; Knijn, Arnold; Delannoy, Sabine; Fach, Patrick; Caprioli, Alfredo; Morabito, Stefano

    2016-01-01

    Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains possess a large accessory genome composed of virulence genes existing in multiple allelic variants, which sometimes segregate with specific STEC subpopulations. We analyzed the allelic variability of 91 virulence genes of STEC by Real Time PCR followed by melting curves analysis in 713 E. coli strains including 358 STEC. The 91 genes investigated were located on the locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE), OI-57, and OI-122 pathogenicity islands and displayed a total of 476 alleles in the study population. The combinations of the 91 alleles of each strain were termed allelic signatures and used to perform cluster analyses. We termed such an approach High Resolution Virulence Allelic Profiling (HReVAP) and used it to investigate the phylogeny of STEC of multiple serogroups. The dendrograms obtained identified groups of STEC segregating approximately with the serogroups and allowed the identification of subpopulations within the single groups. The study of the allelic signatures provided further evidence of the coevolution of the LEE and OI-122, reflecting the occurrence of their acquisition through a single event. The HReVAP analysis represents a sensitive tool for studying the evolution of LEE-positive STEC. PMID:26941726

  20. Validation of the Applied Biosystems RapidFinder Shiga Toxin-Producing E. coli (STEC) Detection Workflow.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cloke, Jonathan; Matheny, Sharon; Swimley, Michelle; Tebbs, Robert; Burrell, Angelia; Flannery, Jonathan; Bastin, Benjamin; Bird, Patrick; Benzinger, M Joseph; Crowley, Erin; Agin, James; Goins, David; Salfinger, Yvonne; Brodsky, Michael; Fernandez, Maria Cristina

    2016-11-01

    The Applied Biosystems™ RapidFinder™ STEC Detection Workflow (Thermo Fisher Scientific) is a complete protocol for the rapid qualitative detection of Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 and the "Big 6" non-O157 Shiga-like toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) serotypes (defined as serogroups: O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145). The RapidFinder STEC Detection Workflow makes use of either the automated preparation of PCR-ready DNA using the Applied Biosystems PrepSEQ™ Nucleic Acid Extraction Kit in conjunction with the Applied Biosystems MagMAX™ Express 96-well magnetic particle processor or the Applied Biosystems PrepSEQ Rapid Spin kit for manual preparation of PCR-ready DNA. Two separate assays comprise the RapidFinder STEC Detection Workflow, the Applied Biosystems RapidFinder STEC Screening Assay and the Applied Biosystems RapidFinder STEC Confirmation Assay. The RapidFinder STEC Screening Assay includes primers and probes to detect the presence of stx1 (Shiga toxin 1), stx2 (Shiga toxin 2), eae (intimin), and E. coli O157 gene targets. The RapidFinder STEC Confirmation Assay includes primers and probes for the "Big 6" non-O157 STEC and E. coli O157:H7. The use of these two assays in tandem allows a user to detect accurately the presence of the "Big 6" STECs and E. coli O157:H7. The performance of the RapidFinder STEC Detection Workflow was evaluated in a method comparison study, in inclusivity and exclusivity studies, and in a robustness evaluation. The assays were compared to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) Microbiology Laboratory Guidebook (MLG) 5.09: Detection, Isolation and Identification of Escherichia coli O157:H7 from Meat Products and Carcass and Environmental Sponges for raw ground beef (73% lean) and USDA/FSIS-MLG 5B.05: Detection, Isolation and Identification of Escherichia coli non-O157:H7 from Meat Products and Carcass and Environmental Sponges for raw beef trim. No statistically significant

  1. Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O22:H8 isolated from cattle reduces E. coli O157:H7 adherence in vitro and in vivo.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martorelli, L; Albanese, A; Vilte, D; Cantet, R; Bentancor, A; Zolezzi, G; Chinen, I; Ibarra, C; Rivas, M; Mercado, E C; Cataldi, A

    2017-09-01

    Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are a group of bacteria responsible for food-associated diseases. Clinical features include a wide range of symptoms such as diarrhea, hemorrhagic colitis and the hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a life-threatening condition. Our group has observed that animals naturally colonized with STEC strains of unknown serotype were not efficiently colonized with E. coli O157:H7 after experimental infection. In order to assess the basis of the interference, three STEC strains were isolated from STEC persistently-colonized healthy cattle from a dairy farm in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The three isolated strains are E. coli O22:H8 and carry the stx1 and stx2d genes. The activatable activity of Stx2d was demonstrated in vitro. The three strains carry the adhesins iha, ehaA and lpf O113 . E. coli O22:H8 formed stronger biofilms in abiotic surface than E. coli O157:H7 (eae+, stx2+) and displayed a more adherent phenotype in vitro towards HeLa cells. Furthermore, when both serotypes were cultured together O22:H8 could reduce O157:H7 adherence in vitro. When calves were intragastrically pre-challenged with 10 8 CFU of a mixture of the three STEC strains and two days later challenged with the same dose of the strain E. coli O157:H7 438/99, the shedding of the pathogen was significantly reduced. These results suggest that E. coli O22:H8, a serotype rarely associated with human illness, might compete with O157:H7 at the bovine recto-anal junction, making non-O157 carrying-calves less susceptible to O157:H7 colonization and shedding of the bacteria to the environment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Comparison of the fate of the top six non-O157 shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and E. coli O157:H7 during the manufacture of dry fermented sausages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balamurugan, S; Ahmed, Rafath; Gao, Anli; Strange, Phil

    2017-10-16

    The study examined the relative fate of the top six non-O157 shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and E. coli O157:H7 during the manufacture of dry fermented sausages (DFS). Three separate batches of sausages containing a five-strain cocktail for each serogroup and uninoculated control were manufactured and subjected to identical fermentation, maturation and dry curing conditions. Changes in physicochemical properties and inoculated STEC numbers were enumerated during the DFS production stages and log reduction and log reduction rates were calculated. Inoculation of very high concentrations (8logCFUg -1 ) of STEC in the sausage batter did not significantly (P>0.05) affect the changes in the pH, a w , moisture, protein, fat content compared to the uninoculated DFS. There was a significant (P0.05) from each other. These results indicate that the lethality of DFS production processes observed against E. coli O157:H7 would result in a similar inactivation of the top six non-O157 STEC. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. The effect of deep frying or conventional oven cooking on inactivation of Shiga toxin-producing cells of Escherichia coli (STEC) in meatballs

    Science.gov (United States)

    We investigated the effects deep frying or oven cooking on inactivation of Shiga toxin-producing cells of Escherichia coli (STEC) in meatballs. A finely-ground veal and/or a beef-pork-veal mixture were inoculated (ca. 7.0 log CFU/g) with an eight-strain, genetically-marked cocktail of rifampicin-res...

  4. STEC

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    USER

    2010-07-12

    Jul 12, 2010 ... Escherichia coli is ubiquitous in the cow's environment that is contaminated by feces, and it is ... characterization of shiga toxigenic E. coli (STEC) in bovine fecal and milk samples. ... Multiplex PCR for detection of genes encoding accessory .... 32 quarters with subclinical mastitis and 48 quarters with clinical.

  5. Detection, Characterization and Typing of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli.

    OpenAIRE

    Brendon David Parsons; Nathan eZelyas; Byron M Berenger; Linda eChui; Linda eChui

    2016-01-01

    Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are responsible for gastrointestinal diseases reported in numerous outbreaks around the world. Given the public health importance of STEC, effective detection, characterization and typing is critical to any medical laboratory system. While non-O157 serotypes account for the majority of STEC infections, frontline microbiology laboratories may only screen for STEC using O157-specific agar-based methods. As a result, non-O157 STEC infections are sign...

  6. Microbiota response to Escherichia coli O157:H7 colonization in cattle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cattle are primary reservoir of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC). Field studies indicate STEC colonization influences gut microbiota composition in beef and dairy cattle. In this pilot study, we evaluated the bovine gut microbiota after STEC O157 (O157) challenge under experimental con...

  7. Agitation down-regulates immunoglobulin binding protein EibG expression in Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thorsten Kuczius

    Full Text Available Shiga toxin (Stx-producing Escherichia coli (STEC carrying eibG synthesize Escherichia coli immunoglobulin binding protein (EibG. EibG nonspecifically binds to immunoglobulins and tends to aggregate in multimers but is poorly expressed in wild-type strains. To study synthesis of the proteins and their regulation in the pathogens, we identified natural growth conditions that increased EibG synthesis. EibG proteins as well as corresponding mRNA were highly expressed under static growth conditions while shearing stress created by agitation during growth repressed protein synthesis. Further regulation effects were driven by reduced oxygen tension, and pH up-regulated EibG expression, but to a lesser extent than growth conditions while decreased temperature down-regulated EibG. Bacteria with increased EibG expression during static growth conditions showed a distinct phenotype with chain formation and biofilm generation, which disappeared with motion. High and low EibG expression was reversible indicating a process with up- and down-regulation of the protein expression. Our findings indicate that shear stress represses EibG expression and might reduce bacterial attachments to cells and surfaces.

  8. Characterisation of STEC and other diarrheic E. coli isolated on CHROMagar™STEC at a tertiary referral hospital, Cape Town.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kalule, John Bosco; Keddy, Karen H; Nicol, Mark P

    2018-06-08

    Shiga toxin producing E. coli (STEC) is an emerging zoonotic pathogen that can cause acute renal failure, especially in children. Clinical microbiology laboratories may fail to detect STEC and other diarrhoeic E. coli unless purposive rigorous screening procedures are followed using appropriate diagnostic technology; CHROMagar™STEC has rarely been used for isolation of African diarrhoeic E. coli hence characteristics of isolates on this medium are not yet fully understood. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and characteristics of STEC and other diarrhoeic E. coli isolated on CHROMagar™STEC from stool samples submitted to the microbiology laboratory of a South African public sector tertiary care hospital. In total, 733 stool samples were tested. Of these, 4.5% (33/733) possessed diarrhoeic E. coli. Of the diarrheic E. coli, 5/33 (15.2%) were STEC, 15/33 (45.5%) EAggEC, 6/33 (18.2%) atypical EPEC, 5/33 (15.2%) typical EPEC, and 1/33 (3%) DAEC. None of the STEC isolates had been identified by routine testing (based on using sorbitol media to test for E. coli O157: H7 strains and not the other STEC) in the laboratory. Of the 33 strains, 55% (95% CI = 40.8-72.7) showed resistance to ampicillin. CHROMagar™STEC enabled detection of tellurite - resistant diarrhoeic E. coli that would be missed using routine methods. Further studies are needed to determine the proportion and characteristics of those which might have been missed using this approach.

  9. [Stx2a-producing enteroaggregative Escherichia coli O104:H4-ST678. Microbiological diagnostic already, for this and other STEC/VTEC serotypes!].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blanco, Jorge

    2012-02-01

    A Stx2a-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strain belonging to serotype O104:H4, with virulence features common to the enteroaggregative E. coli pathotype, was reported as the cause of the recent 2011 outbreak in Germany. In addition, the German outbreak strain was found to possess several virulence factors of extra-intestinal pathogenic E. coli and to have acquired resistance to numerous antibiotics, including third-generation cephalosporins, owing to several plasmid-borne genes encoding TEM-1 and CTX-M-15 β-lactamases. There are only a few reports of serotype O104:H4, which is very rare in humans, and has never been detected in animals or food. Once the serotype of the German outbreak strain became known, specific molecular methods were developed for its detection based on conventional and real-time PCR. Data from Galicia suggest that, per year in Spain, STEC O157:H7 is responsible for more than 500 cases of infection, and non-O157 for more than 2,000. A microbiological diagnosis for O104:H4, O157:H7 and other STEC serotypes is required in Spanish hospitals. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

  10. Imported edible leaves collected at retail sale in England during 2017 with an emphasis on betel and curry leaves: Microbiological quality with respect to Salmonella, Shiga-toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) and levels of Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McLauchlin, J; Aird, H; Charlett, A; Chattaway, M; Elviss, N; Hartman, H; Jenkins, C; Jørgensen, F; Larkin, L; Sadler-Reeves, L; Willis, C

    2018-05-26

    to investigate the microbiological quality of imported fresh leaves on retail-sale during 2017 with respect to Salmonella, Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and levels of E.coli. 279 samples of imported edible leaves (69 banana, 77 betel, 118 curry and 15 other types) were tested. Salmonella spp. which were confirmed by whole genome sequencing and isolated from 44 samples, 26% from curry leaves, 14% from betel and 2.4% from all other leaf types: 80% of all samples contained ≥10 2 , 44% ≥10 3 and 22% ≥10 4 cfu of E.coli cfu/g. All samples where Salmonella were detected also yielded ≥20 cfu of E.coli/g. 54 samples were tested for STEC which was detected in 6 samples and isolated from three: one was identified as STEC O157:H7. this report further highlights an ongoing problem of Salmonella contamination of imported fresh edible leaves. amongst all food tested by Public Health England (approximately 11,000 per annum), curry leaves were the herb most commonly contaminated with Salmonella, and betel leaves were the most commonly contaminated ready-to-eat food. The high proportion with unsatisfactory E. coli levels and the detection of STEC suggests risks of contamination by multiple enteric pathogens. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  11. Isolation, genotyping, and antimicrobial resistance of zoonotic shiga toxin-producing escherichia coli

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is an enteric pathogen linked to outbreaks of human gastroenteritis with diverse clinical spectra. Traditional culture and isolation methods, including selective enrichment and differential plating, have enabled the effective recovery of STEC. Ruminants ...

  12. Development of a robust method for isolation of shiga toxin-positive Escherichia coli (STEC from fecal, plant, soil and water samples from a leafy greens production region in California.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael B Cooley

    Full Text Available During a 2.5-year survey of 33 farms and ranches in a major leafy greens production region in California, 13,650 produce, soil, livestock, wildlife, and water samples were tested for Shiga toxin (stx-producing Escherichia coli (STEC. Overall, 357 and 1,912 samples were positive for E. coli O157:H7 (2.6% or non-O157 STEC (14.0%, respectively. Isolates differentiated by O-typing ELISA and multilocus variable number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA resulted in 697 O157:H7 and 3,256 non-O157 STEC isolates saved for further analysis. Cattle (7.1%, feral swine (4.7%, sediment (4.4%, and water (3.3% samples were positive for E. coli O157:H7; 7/32 birds, 2/145 coyotes, 3/88 samples from elk also were positive. Non-O157 STEC were at approximately 5-fold higher incidence compared to O157 STEC: cattle (37.9%, feral swine (21.4%, birds (2.4%, small mammals (3.5%, deer or elk (8.3%, water (14.0%, sediment (12.3%, produce (0.3% and soil adjacent to produce (0.6%. stx1, stx2 and stx1/stx2 genes were detected in 63%, 74% and 35% of STEC isolates, respectively. Subtilase, intimin and hemolysin genes were present in 28%, 25% and 79% of non-O157 STEC, respectively; 23% were of the "Top 6″ O-types. The initial method was modified twice during the study revealing evidence of culture bias based on differences in virulence and O-antigen profiles. MLVA typing revealed a diverse collection of O157 and non-O157 STEC strains isolated from multiple locations and sources and O157 STEC strains matching outbreak strains. These results emphasize the importance of multiple approaches for isolation of non-O157 STEC, that livestock and wildlife are common sources of potentially virulent STEC, and evidence of STEC persistence and movement in a leafy greens production environment.

  13. Diversity of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O26:H11 Strains Examined via stx Subtypes and Insertion Sites of Stx and EspK Bacteriophages

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bonanno, Ludivine; Loukiadis, Estelle; Mariani-Kurkdjian, Patricia; Oswald, Eric; Garnier, Lucille; Michel, Valérie

    2015-01-01

    Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is a food-borne pathogen that may be responsible for severe human infections. Only a limited number of serotypes, including O26:H11, are involved in the majority of serious cases and outbreaks. The main virulence factors, Shiga toxins (Stx), are encoded by bacteriophages. Seventy-four STEC O26:H11 strains of various origins (including human, dairy, and cattle) were characterized for their stx subtypes and Stx phage chromosomal insertion sites. The majority of food and cattle strains possessed the stx1a subtype, while human strains carried mainly stx1a or stx2a. The wrbA and yehV genes were the main Stx phage insertion sites in STEC O26:H11, followed distantly by yecE and sbcB. Interestingly, the occurrence of Stx phages inserted in the yecE gene was low in dairy strains. In most of the 29 stx-negative E. coli O26:H11 strains also studied here, these bacterial insertion sites were vacant. Multilocus sequence typing of 20 stx-positive or stx-negative E. coli O26:H11 strains showed that they were distributed into two phylogenetic groups defined by sequence type 21 (ST21) and ST29. Finally, an EspK-carrying phage was found inserted in the ssrA gene in the majority of the STEC O26:H11 strains but in only a minority of the stx-negative E. coli O26:H11 strains. The differences in the stx subtypes and Stx phage insertion sites observed in STEC O26:H11 according to their origin might reflect that strains circulating in cattle and foods are clonally distinct from those isolated from human patients. PMID:25819955

  14. Occurrence and characterization of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 and other non-sorbitol-fermenting E. coli in cattle and humans in urban areas of Morogoro, Tanzania

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lupindu, Athumani M; Olsen, John Elmerdahl; Ngowi, Helena A

    2014-01-01

    Escherichia coli strains such as Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), enteropathogenic E. coli, enterotoxigenic, attaching, and effacing E. coli, and enteroinvasive E. coli cause diarrhea in humans. Although other serotypes exist, the most commonly reported STEC in outbreaks is O157:H7. A cross-...

  15. Inactivation of shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in lean ground beef by gamma irradiation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Non-O157 serovars of Shiga Toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are now responsible for over 60% of STEC induced illnesses. The majority of illnesses caused by non-O157:H7 STEC have been due to serogroups O26, O121, O103, O45, O111, and O145, “the big/top six”, which are now considered adulterant...

  16. Evaluation of mericon E. coli O157 Screen Plus and mericon E. coli STEC O-Type Pathogen Detection Assays in Select Foods: Collaborative Study, First Action 2017.05.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bird, Patrick; Benzinger, M Joseph; Bastin, Benjamin; Crowley, Erin; Agin, James; Goins, David; Armstrong, Marcia

    2018-05-01

    QIAGEN mericon Escherichia coli O157 Screen Plus and mericon E. coli Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) O-Type Pathogen Detection Assays use Real-Time PCR technology for the rapid, accurate detection of E. coli O157 and the "big six" (O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, O145) (non-O157 STEC) in select food types. Using a paired study design, the assays were compared with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety Inspection Service Microbiology Laboratory Guidebook Chapter 5.09 reference method for the detection of E. coli O157:H7 in raw ground beef. Both mericon assays were evaluated using the manual and an automated DNA extraction method. Thirteen technicians from five laboratories located within the continental United States participated in the collaborative study. Three levels of contamination were evaluated. Statistical analysis was conducted according to the probability of detection (POD) statistical model. Results obtained for the low-inoculum level test portions produced a difference between laboratories POD (dLPOD) value with a 95% confidence interval of 0.00 (-0.12, 0.12) for the mericon E. coli O157 Screen Plus with manual and automated extraction and mericon E. coli STEC O-Type with manual extraction and -0.01 (-0.13, 0.10) for the mericon E. coli STEC O-Type with automated extraction. The dLPOD results indicate equivalence between the candidate methods and the reference method.

  17. Prevalence and characteristics of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in finishing pigs: implications on public health

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are important food-borne pathogens, which can cause serious illnesses, including hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome. To examine if pigs are potential animal reservoirs for human STEC infections, we conducted a longitudinal cohort study in ...

  18. Captive wild birds as reservoirs of enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) and Shiga-toxin producing E. coli (STEC).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanches, Lilian Aparecida; Gomes, Marcelo da Silva; Teixeira, Rodrigo Hidalgo Friciello; Cunha, Marcos Paulo Vieira; Oliveira, Maria Gabriela Xavier de; Vieira, Mônica Aparecida Midolli; Gomes, Tânia Aparecida Tardelli; Knobl, Terezinha

    Psittacine birds have been identified as reservoirs of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli, a subset of pathogens associated with mortality of children in tropical countries. The role of other orders of birds as source of infection is unclear. The aim of this study was to perform the molecular diagnosis of infection with diarrheagenic E. coli in 10 different orders of captive wild birds in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Fecal samples were analyzed from 516 birds belonging to 10 orders: Accipitriformes, Anseriformes, Columbiformes, Falconiformes, Galliformes, Passeriformes, Pelecaniformes, Piciformes, Psittaciformes and Strigiformes. After isolation, 401 E. coli strains were subjected to multiplex PCR system with amplification of genes eae and bfp (EPEC), stx1 and stx2 for STEC. The results of these tests revealed 23/401 (5.74%) positive strains for eae gene, 16/401 positive strains for the bfp gene (3.99%) and 3/401 positive for stx2 gene (0.75%) distributed among the orders of Psittaciformes, Strigiformes and Columbiformes. None of strains were positive for stx1 gene. These data reveal the infection by STEC, typical and atypical EPEC in captive birds. The frequency of these pathotypes is low and restricted to few orders, but the data suggest the potential public health risk that these birds represent as reservoirs of diarrheagenic E. coli. Copyright © 2017 Sociedade Brasileira de Microbiologia. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

  19. Strain-Level Discrimination of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli in Spinach Using Metagenomic Sequencing.

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    Susan R Leonard

    Full Text Available Consumption of fresh bagged spinach contaminated with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC has led to severe illness and death; however current culture-based methods to detect foodborne STEC are time consuming. Since not all STEC strains are considered pathogenic to humans, it is crucial to incorporate virulence characterization of STEC in the detection method. In this study, we assess the comprehensiveness of utilizing a shotgun metagenomics approach for detection and strain-level identification by spiking spinach with a variety of genomically disparate STEC strains at a low contamination level of 0.1 CFU/g. Molecular serotyping, virulence gene characterization, microbial community analysis, and E. coli core gene single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP analysis were performed on metagenomic sequence data from enriched samples. It was determined from bacterial community analysis that E. coli, which was classified at the phylogroup level, was a major component of the population in most samples. However, in over half the samples, molecular serotyping revealed the presence of indigenous E. coli which also contributed to the percent abundance of E. coli. Despite the presence of additional E. coli strains, the serotype and virulence genes of the spiked STEC, including correct Shiga toxin subtype, were detected in 94% of the samples with a total number of reads per sample averaging 2.4 million. Variation in STEC abundance and/or detection was observed in replicate spiked samples, indicating an effect from the indigenous microbiota during enrichment. SNP analysis of the metagenomic data correctly placed the spiked STEC in a phylogeny of related strains in cases where the indigenous E. coli did not predominate in the enriched sample. Also, for these samples, our analysis demonstrates that strain-level phylogenetic resolution is possible using shotgun metagenomic data for determining the genomic relatedness of a contaminating STEC strain to other

  20. Microbiological water quality of Igapó Lake Londrina - PR and genotypic characterization of virulence factors associated with enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paulo Alfonso Schuroff

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available This work aimed at the detection and quantification of Total Coliforms and Escherichia coli in Igapó Lake, in order to evaluate the quality of these waters as proper or unfit for recreation, in addition to the genotypic characterization of virulence factors associated with EPEC and STEC by PCR. The study area was the Igapó Lake I, II, III and IV. Samples were collected monthly from March 2011 to February 2012. The technique used for the detection and quantification of Total Coliforms and E. coli was the Colilert chromogenic substrate. In the technique of PCR, the eae and bfp genes were tested to characterize the typical EPEC pathotype; stx1, stx2, eae and hlyA the STEC pathotype and the samples that presented only the eae gene were characterized as atypical EPEC. According to CONAMA Resolution 357/2005, it has been observed that only Igapó Lake III was rated inappropriate for primary contact recreation, while for secondary contact recreation, all lakes were considered appropriate. Moreover, a strong relationship between rainfall and E. coli indices in Igapó Lake can be observed, which in dry months the quantity drastically decreases, while in rainy months the opposite relationship was observed. Of the 97 strains of E. coli isolated, two had the eae gene (atypical EPEC. None of the isolates contained genes stx1, stx2, bfp and hlyA. Thus, we hope to educate the population and public agencies of the importance of microbiological monitoring of recreational waters to prevent outbreaks of waterborne infections.

  1. Detection and characterization of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli from seagulls.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Makino, S; Kobori, H; Asakura, H; Watarai, M; Shirahata, T; Ikeda, T; Takeshi, K; Tsukamoto, T

    2000-08-01

    Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains isolated from a seagull in Japan were examined. A total of 50 faecal samples was collected on a harbour bank in Hokkaido, Japan, in July 1998. Two different STEC strains, whose serotypes were O136:H16 and O153:H-, were isolated from the same individual by PCR screening; both of them were confirmed by ELISA and Vero cell cytotoxicity assay to be producing active Stx2 and Stx1, respectively. They harboured large plasmids, but did not carry the haemolysin or eaeA genes of STEC O157:H7. Based on their plasmid profiles, antibiotic resistance patterns, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis (PFGE), and the stx genes sequences, the isolates were different. Phylogenic analysis of the deduced Stx amino acid sequences demonstrated that the Stx toxins of seagull-origin STEC were closely associated with those of the human-origin, but not those of other animal-origin STEC. In addition, Stx2phi-K7 phage purified from O136 STEC resembled Stx2phi-II from human-origin O157:H7, and was able to convert non-toxigenic E. coli to STEC. These results suggest that birds may be one of the important carriers in terms of the distribution of STEC.

  2. Outbreaks of virulent diarrheagenic Escherichia coli - are we in control?

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    Werber Dirk

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC are the most virulent diarrheagenic E. coli known to date. They can be spread with alarming ease via food as exemplified by a large sprout-borne outbreak of STEC O104:H4 in 2011 that was centered in northern Germany and affected several countries. Effective control of such outbreaks is an important public health task and necessitates early outbreak detection, fast identification of the outbreak vehicle and immediate removal of the suspected food from the market, flanked by consumer advice and measures to prevent secondary spread. In our view, opportunities to improve control of STEC outbreaks lie in early clinical suspicion for STEC infection, timely diagnosis of all STEC at the serotype-level and integrating molecular subtyping information into surveillance systems. Furthermore, conducting analytical studies that supplement patients' imperfect food history recall and performing, as an investigative element, product tracebacks, are pivotal but underutilized tools for successful epidemiologic identification of the suspected vehicle in foodborne outbreaks. As a corollary, these tools are amenable to tailor microbiological testing of suspected food. Please see related article: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7015/10/12

  3. Shiga toxin-converting phages and the emergence of new pathogenic Escherichia coli: a world in motion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tozzoli, Rosangela; Grande, Laura; Michelacci, Valeria; Ranieri, Paola; Maugliani, Antonella; Caprioli, Alfredo; Morabito, Stefano

    2014-01-01

    Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are pathogenic E. coli causing diarrhea, hemorrhagic colitis (HC) and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). STEC are characterized by a constellation of virulence factors additional to Stx and have long been regarded as capable to cause HC and HUS when possessing the ability of inducing the attaching and effacing (A/E) lesion to the enterocyte, although strains isolated from such severe infections sometimes lack this virulence feature. Interestingly, the capability to cause the A/E lesion is shared with another E. coli pathogroup, the Enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC). In the very recent times, a different type of STEC broke the scene causing a shift in the paradigm for HUS-associated STEC. In 2011, a STEC O104:H4 caused a large outbreak with more than 800 HUS and 50 deaths. Such a strain presented the adhesion determinants of Enteroaggregative E. coli (EAggEC). We investigated the possibility that, besides STEC and EAggEC, other pathogenic E. coli could be susceptible to infection with stx-phages. A panel of stx2-phages obtained from STEC isolated from human disease was used to infect experimentally E. coli strains representing all the known pathogenic types, including both diarrheagenic E. coli (DEC) and extra-intestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC). We observed that all the E. coli pathogroups used in the infection experiments were susceptible to the infection. Our results suggest that the stx2-phages used may not have specificity for E. coli adapted to the intestinal environment, at least in the conditions used. Additionally, we could only observe transient lysogens suggesting that the event of stable stx2-phage acquisition occurs rarely. PMID:24999453

  4. Detection of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7, O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145, and Salmonella in retail raw ground beef using the DuPont™ BAX® system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wasilenko, Jamie L; Fratamico, Pina M; Sommers, Christopher; DeMarco, Daniel R; Varkey, Stephen; Rhoden, Kyle; Tice, George

    2014-01-01

    Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and Salmonella are food-borne pathogens commonly associated with beef, and reliable methods are needed to determine their prevalence in beef and to ensure food safety. Retail ground beef was tested for the presence of E. coli O157:H7, STEC serogroups O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145, and Salmonella using the DuPont™ BAX® system method. Ground beef (325 g) samples were enriched in 1.5 L of TSB with 2 mg/L novobiocin at 42°C for 18 h, and then evaluated using the BAX® System real-time PCR assays for E. coli O157:H7 and STEC suite, and the BAX® System standard PCR assays for E. coli O157:H7 MP and Salmonella. Samples positive for STEC target genes by the BAX® System assays were subjected to immunomagnetic separation (IMS) and plating onto modified Rainbow Agar O157. Enrichments that were PCR positive for Salmonella were inoculated into RV broth, incubated for 18 h at 42°C, and then plated onto XLT-4 agar. Presumptive positive STEC and Salmonella colonies were confirmed using the BAX® System assays. Results of the BAX® System STEC assays showed 20/308 (6.5%) of samples positive for both the Shiga toxin (stx) and intimin (eae) genes; 4 (1.3%) for stx, eae, and O26; 1 (0.3%) for stx, eae, and O45; 3 (1%) for stx, eae, and O103; and 1 (0.3%) for stx, eae, and O145. There were also 3 samples positive for stx, eae, and more than one STEC serogroup. Three (1.0%) of the samples were positive using the BAX® System real-time E. coli O157:H7 assay, and 28 (9.1%) were positive using the BAX® System Salmonella assay. STEC O103 and E. coli O157:H7 were isolated from 2/6 and 2/3 PCR positive samples, respectively. Salmonella isolates were recovered and confirmed from 27 of the 28 Salmonella PCR positive samples, and a portion of the isolates were serotyped and antibiotic resistance profiles determined. Results demonstrate that the BAX® System assays are effective for detecting STEC and Salmonella in beef.

  5. Molecular characterization of Escherichia coli recovered from traditional milk products in Kashan, Iran

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    Farhad Sharafati Chaleshtori

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Aim: Shiga toxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC strains as emerging groups of foodborne pathogens are responsible for most foodborne illnesses. The aim of this study was to determine the antibiotic resistance pattern in STEC isolated from traditional milk products and their molecular characterization. Materials and Methods: A total of 116 samples were randomly purchased from local markets in Kashan, Iran, and evaluated for the occurrence of STEC by culturing and molecular methods. The antibiotic resistance of obtained isolates was determined by Kirby Bauer method. Furthermore, isolates were assayed for the presence of Shiga toxins (stx1 and stx2 and intimin gene (eae. Results: The incidence of E. coli in 60 ice cream, 30 yoghurt, and 26 cheese samples was 8.33%, 10%, and 11.54%, respectively. The findings showed that 11 out of 11 (100% E. coli had both stx1 and stx2 while eae gene was not found in E. coli isolated of traditional milk products. For E. coli strains carrying stx1 and stx2, highest antibiotic sensitive levels were related to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, norfloxacin, chloramphenicol, and ciprofloxacin, respectively. Conclusion: The results showed relationship between the presence of virulence factors and antimicrobial resistance. These results can be used for further studies on STEC as an emerging foodborne pathogen.

  6. Escherichia coli and Salmonella ser. Saintpaul natural co-infection in a free-living ruddy ground dove (Columbina talpacoti: a case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    W.G.A. Bezerra

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT This study reports a co-infection of Escherichia coli and Salmonella in a free-living ruddy ground dove (Columbina talpacoti received at the Laboratory of Ornithological Studies of the State University of Ceará, Brazil. The bird presented diarrhea, leg paralysis and anorexia, and died shortly after. Necropsy was then performed and samples from lung, kidney, liver and intestine were collected for microbiological and histopathological analyses. Escherichia coli was isolated from cloacal swab, lung and kidney samples. Salmonella ser. Saintpaul was identified in liver and spleen samples. Escherichia coli isolates were tested for the presence of eight diagnostic genes for diarrheagenic pathotypes (STEC, ETEC, EPEC, EIEC, EAEC with conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR. EAEC was detected in the lung and kidney, and STEC in the intestine. In conclusion, Columbina talpacoti is susceptible to enteroaggregative Escherichia coli and Salmonella ser. Saintpaul infection, which may have public health implications.

  7. Characterization of free lytic bacteriophages isolated from compost against O145 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) as a potential biocontrol agent

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), one of the most prevalent foodborne pathogens, are notorious for hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and causing high mortality among children and the elder population after infection. Besides O157 STEC, non-O157 STEC—particularly serogroup O145—is commonly associat...

  8. Taxonomy Meets Public Health: The Case of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scheutz, Flemming

    2014-06-01

    To help assess the clinical and public health risks associated with different Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains, an empirical classification scheme was used to classify STEC into five "seropathotypes" (seropathotype A [high risk] to seropathotypes D and E [minimal risk]). This definition is of considerable value in cases of human infection but is also problematic because not all STEC infections are fully characterized and coupled to reliable clinical information. Outbreaks with emerging hybrid strains continuously challenge our understanding of virulence potential and may result in incorrect classification of specific pathotypes; an example is the hybrid strain that caused the 2011 outbreak in Germany, STEC/EAggEC O104:H4, which may deserve an alternative seropathotype designation. The integration of mobile virulence factors in the stepwise and parallel evolution of pathogenic lineages of STEC collides with the requirements of a good taxonomy, which separates elements of each group into subgroups that are mutually exclusive, unambiguous, and, together, include all possibilities. The concept of (sero)-pathotypes is therefore challenged, and the need to identify factors of STEC that absolutely predict the potential to cause human disease is obvious. Because the definition of hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) is distinct, a basic and primary definition of HUS-associated E. coli (HUSEC) for first-line public health action is proposed: stx2 in a background of an eae- or aggR-positive E. coli followed by a second-line subtyping of stx genes that refines the definition of HUSEC to include only stx2a and stx2d. All other STEC strains are considered "low-risk" STEC.

  9. Carbon nanoparticles as detection labels in antibody microarrays. Detection of genes encoding virulence factors in Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Noguera, P.S.; Posthuma-Trumpie, G.A.; Tuil, Van M.; Wal, van der F.J.; Boer, De A.; Moers, A.P.H.A.; Amerongen, Van A.

    2011-01-01

    The present study demonstrates that carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) can be used as labels in microarrays. CNPs were used in nucleic acid microarray immunoassays (NAMIAs) for the detection of different Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) virulence factors: four genes specific for STEC (vt1,

  10. Comparative genomics and stx phage characterization of LEE-negative Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Susan Renee Steyert

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Infection by Escherichia coli and Shigella species are among the leading causes of death due to diarrheal disease in the world. Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC that do not encode the locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE-negative STEC often possess Shiga toxin gene variants and have been isolated from humans and a variety of animal sources. In this study, we compare the genomes of nine LEE-negative STEC harboring various stx alleles with four complete reference LEE-positive STEC isolates. Compared to a representative collection of prototype E. coli and Shigella isolates representing each of the pathotypes, the whole genome phylogeny demonstrated that these isolates are diverse. Whole genome comparative analysis of the 13 genomes revealed that in addition to the absence of the LEE pathogenicity island, phage encoded genes including non-LEE encoded effectors, were absent from all nine LEE-negative STEC genomes. Several plasmid-encoded virulence factors reportedly identified in LEE-negative STEC isolates were identified in only a subset of the nine LEE-negative isolates further confirming the diversity of this group. In combination with whole genome analysis, we characterized the lambdoid phages harboring the various stx alleles and determined their genomic insertion sites. Although the integrase gene sequence corresponded with genomic location, it was not correlated with stx variant, further highlighting the mosaic nature of these phages. The transcription of these phages in different genomic backgrounds was examined. Expression of the Shiga toxin genes, stx1 and/or stx2, as well as the Q genes, were examined with quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR assays. A wide range of basal and induced toxin induction was observed. Overall, this is a first significant foray into the genome space of this unexplored group of emerging and divergent pathogens.

  11. Occurrence and characterization of shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in raw meat, raw milk, and street vended juices in Bangladesh

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Islam, M.A.; Mondol, A.S.; Azmi, I.J.; Boer, de E.; Beumer, R.R.; Zwietering, M.H.; Heuvelink, A.E.; Talukder, K.A.

    2010-01-01

    The major objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of Shiga toxin (Stx)–producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in different types of food samples and to compare their genetic relatedness with STEC strains previously isolated from animal sources in Bangladesh. We investigated a total of

  12. Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in humans and the food chain in Bangladesh

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Islam, M.A.

    2009-01-01

    Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are significant pathogenic bacteria that can cause severe gastrointestinal diseases and also the hemolytic-uremic syndrome. Domestic ruminants appear to be the main reservoirs of these organisms. Although Bangladesh is an endemic zone for diarrhea caused

  13. OI-57, a Genomic Island of Escherichia coli O157, Is Present in Other Seropathotypes of Shiga Toxin-Producing E. coli Associated with Severe Human Disease▿

    Science.gov (United States)

    Imamovic, Lejla; Tozzoli, Rosangela; Michelacci, Valeria; Minelli, Fabio; Marziano, Maria Luisa; Caprioli, Alfredo; Morabito, Stefano

    2010-01-01

    Strains of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are a heterogeneous E. coli group that may cause severe disease in humans. STEC have been categorized into seropathotypes (SPTs) based on their phenotypic and molecular characteristics and the clinical features of the associated diseases. SPTs range from A to E, according to a decreasing rank of pathogenicity. To define the virulence gene asset (“virulome”) characterizing the highly pathogenic SPTs, we used microarray hybridization to compare the whole genomes of STEC belonging to SPTs B, C, and D with that of STEC O157 (SPT A). The presence of the open reading frames (ORFs) associated with SPTs A and B was subsequently investigated by PCR in a larger panel of STEC and in other E. coli strains. A genomic island termed OI-57 was present in SPTs A and B but not in the other SPTs. OI-57 harbors the putative virulence gene adfO, encoding a factor enhancing the adhesivity of STEC O157, and ckf, encoding a putative killing factor for the bacterial cell. PCR analyses showed that OI-57 was present in its entirety in the majority of the STEC genomes examined, indicating that it represents a stable acquisition of the positive clonal lineages. OI-57 was also present in a high proportion of the human enteropathogenic E. coli genomes assayed, suggesting that it could be involved in the attaching-and-effacing colonization of the intestinal mucosa. In conclusion, OI-57 appears to be part of the virulome of pathogenic STEC and further studies are needed to elucidate its role in the pathogenesis of STEC infections. PMID:20823207

  14. Detección, aislamiento y caracterización de Escherichia coli productor de toxina Shiga a partir de carne molida fresca proveniente de carnicerías de Concepción, provincia de Tucumán Detection, isolation and characterization of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC in fresh ground beef from butcher shops in Concepción, Tucumán Province

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. A. Jure

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Escherichia coli productor de toxina Shiga (STEC es un patógeno emergente transmitido por alimentos. Existen numerosos serotipos de STEC asociados a enfermedad en humanos, entre los cuales prevalece el serotipo O157:H7. La carne molida es el principal vehículo de transmisión. En la ciudad de Concepción, provincia de Tucumán, entre setiembre y diciembre de 2004 se diagnosticaron dos casos de síndrome urémico hemolítico (SUH. El objetivo de este trabajo fue detectar, aislar y caracterizar STEC O157 y no-O157 a partir de muestras de carne molida fresca obtenidas en las bocas de expendio. Entre los meses de setiembre y diciembre de 2004 se recolectaron 53 muestras de carne molida fresca en carnicerías de la ciudad de Concepción. Para la detección, el aislamiento y la caracterización de STEC O157:H7 se utilizó la metodología USDA-FSIS 2002. Para la detección de E. coli no-O157 se utilizaron dos técnicas de PCR; para el aislamiento y la caracterización se utilizó una metodología previamente validada en una etapa intralaboratorio. Siete muestras fueron positivas para el gen stx2, de las cuales 4 también fueron positivas para el gen rfbO157. Sin embargo, solo se aisló una cepa de E. coli O157:H7 biotipo C, portadora de los genes eae, stx2 y ehxA. El presente trabajo refleja la importancia de implementar técnicas que permitan detectar este grupo de patógenos emergentes a partir de productos cárnicos.Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli is an emerging foodborne pathogen. There are many STEC serotypes associated with human diseases, being the O157:H7 serotype the most prevalent. Ground beef is the main transmission vehicle. In Concepción city, Tucumán Province, between September and December 2004, two hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS cases were diagnosed. The main objective of this work was to detect, isolate and characterize STEC O157 and non-O157 strains in fresh ground beef. Between September and December 2004, 53 fresh ground

  15. Risk Factors for Salmonella, Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli and Campylobacter Occurrence in Primary Production of Leafy Greens and Strawberries

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    Siele Ceuppens

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available The microbiological sanitary quality and safety of leafy greens and strawberries were assessed in the primary production in Belgium, Brazil, Egypt, Norway and Spain by enumeration of Escherichia coli and detection of Salmonella, Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC and Campylobacter. Water samples were more prone to containing pathogens (54 positives out of 950 analyses than soil (16/1186 and produce on the field (18/977 for leafy greens and 5/402 for strawberries. The prevalence of pathogens also varied markedly according to the sampling region. Flooding of fields increased the risk considerably, with odds ratio (OR 10.9 for Salmonella and 7.0 for STEC. A significant association between elevated numbers of generic E. coli and detection of pathogens (OR of 2.3 for STEC and 2.7 for Salmonella was established. Generic E. coli was found to be a suitable index organism for Salmonella and STEC, but to a lesser extent for Campylobacter. Guidelines on frequency of sampling and threshold values for E. coli in irrigation water may differ from region to region.

  16. Aislamiento, caracterización y subtipificación de cepas de Escherichia coli O157:H7 a partir de productos cárnicos y leche Isolation, characterization and typing of Escherichia coli O157:H7 strains from beef products and milk

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    M. L. Roldán

    2007-06-01

    Full Text Available Escherichia coli productor de toxina Shiga (Stx (STEC O157:H7 es un patógeno asociado a enfermedades transmitidas por alimentos, fundamentalmente de origen animal. Se investigó la presencia de E. coli O157 en 250 muestras de carne picada y hamburguesas obtenidas de comercios de las ciudades de Santa Fe y Santo Tomé (Pcia. de Santa Fe y en 150 muestras de leche provenientes de tanques de enfriado de tambos de la región, utilizando enriquecimiento selectivo y separación inmunomagnética. A partir de 3 muestras de carne (1,2% se aislaron cepas E. coli O157:H7 stx2, eae, y ehxA positivas, que pudieron ser diferenciadas mediante electroforesis de campo pulsado, fagotipificación y genotipificación de stx. No se aislaron cepas STEC O157:H7 a partir de las muestras de leche. Estos hallazgos confirman la participación de los alimentos de origen animal en la epidemiología de las enfermedades producidas por E. coli O157:H7.Shiga toxin (Stx-producing Escherichia coli (STEC is an emergent pathogen associated with foodborne diseases, especially foodstuffs of animal origin. A total of 250 beef samples (ground beef and hamburgers obtained from retail outlets in Santa Fe and Santo Tomé cities, and 150 milk samples from bulk tank milk from dairy barns of the region were analyzed by selective enrichment and immunomagnetic separation. Escherichia coli O157:H7 stx2, eae and ehxA positive strains were isolated from three (1.2% beef samples. The strains could be differentiated by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, phagetyping and genotyping of stx. The milk samples were negative for STEC O157. These findings confirm the role of food of animal origin in the epidemiology of E. coli O157:H7 - associated diseases.

  17. Mathematical modeling and numerical analysis of the growth of Non-O157 shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in spinach leaves

    Science.gov (United States)

    This study was conducted to investigate the growth of non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in spinach leaves and to develop kinetic models to describe the bacterial growth. Six serogroups of non-O157 STEC, including O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145, were used in the growth stu...

  18. Characteristics of Clinical Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Isolated from British Columbia

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    Kevin J. Allen

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC are significant public health threats. Although STEC O157 are recognized foodborne pathogens, non-O157 STEC are also important causes of human disease. We characterized 10 O157:H7 and 15 non-O157 clinical STEC derived from British Columbia (BC. Eae, hlyA, and stx were more frequently observed in STEC O157, and 80 and 100% of isolates possessed stx1 and stx2, respectively. In contrast, stx1 and stx2 occurred in 80 and 40% of non-O157 STEC, respectively. Comparative genomic fingerprinting (CGF revealed three distinct clusters (C. STEC O157 was identified as lineage I (LI; LSPA-6 111111 and clustered as a single group (C1. The cdi gene previously observed only in LII was seen in two LI O157 isolates. CGF C2 strains consisted of diverse non-O157 STEC while C3 included only O103:H25, O118, and O165 serogroup isolates. With the exception of O121 and O165 isolates which were similar in virulence gene complement to STEC O157, C1 O157 STEC produced more Stx2 than non-O157 STEC. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR screening revealed resistance or reduced sensitivity in all strains, with higher levels occurring in non-O157 STEC. One STEC O157 isolate possessed a mobile blaCMY-2 gene transferrable across genre via conjugation.

  19. Detection of Escherichia coli Shiga toxin-producing in viscera of animals bovine and chicken intended for human consumption

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    Zotta, Claudio Marcelo

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Escherichia coli producing-Shiga toxin (STEC is associated with foodborne illness (ETA. It can cause bloody diarrhea, hemorrhagic colitis, hemolytic uremic syndrome and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. The aim of the study was to detect the presence of STEC in samples of organs (offal of bovine animals and chicken intended for human consumption. Between 2008-2009, 76 samples bovine entrails and 22 chicken viscera samples, were processed and underwent, as screening technique, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR for detection of multiple genes coding for the factors virulence: Shiga toxin (stx1, stx2 and rfbO157 gene coding for capsular O157 lipopolysaccharide LPS. Samples from bovine offal development showed 84.2% for coliform bacteria. These isolates showed no virulence factor that characterized as STEC or Escherichia coli O157. The chicken offal samples showed 95.5% of development for coliform bacteria, being negative for the presence of genes encoding the Shiga toxins 1 and 2 (stx1, stx2 and rfbO157 gene. While this work does not STEC was detected, the presence of coliform bacteria in the samples studied makes these foods should be considered as potentially hazardous to consume undercooked with the consequent possibility of filing ETA.

  20. Effect of carvacrol on O157 and non-O157 Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli

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    Alexandros Stratakos

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Shiga toxin Escherichia coli (STEC strains are important foodborne bacteria linked to diarrhea, enteritis, hemolytic-uremic syndrome and in some cases death. E. coli O157:H7 is the most common strain amongst STECs however non-O157 STECs have been connected with several outbreaks on an international level.  The use of natural plant extracts to reduce the risk from foodborne pathogens is gaining increasing importance. Therefore in this study, we tested the antibacterial effect of carvacrol, a major component of oregano essential oil, on E. coli serogroups O157, O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, O145 as well as serogroup O104 responsible for the massive outbreak in Germany in 2011. Carvacrol showed antibacterial effect on all strains tested. The relative electric conductivity was assessed in order to investigate the changes in membrane permeability and thus to investigate the antimicrobial mechanism of carvacrol. Results showed that the relative conductivity increased with increasing concentrations of carvacrol which showed that there was an increasing leakage of electrolytes due to disruption of the cell membrane. The data presented here revealed that carvacrol has the potential to be used as a natural antimicrobial against STECs.

  1. Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in Central Greece: prevalence and virulence genes of O157:H7 and non-O157 in animal feces, vegetables, and humans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinaka, O; Pournaras, S; Mouchtouri, V; Plakokefalos, E; Katsiaflaka, A; Kolokythopoulou, F; Barboutsi, E; Bitsolas, N; Hadjichristodoulou, C

    2013-11-01

    In Greece, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) have only been sporadically reported. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of STEC and Escherichia coli O157:H7 in farm animals, vegetables, and humans in Greece. A total number of 1,010 fecal samples were collected from farm animals (sheep, goats, cattle, chickens, pigs), 667 diarrheal samples from humans, and 60 from vegetables, which were cultured in specific media for STEC isolates. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect toxin-producing colonies, which, subsequently, were subjected to a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for stx1, stx2, eae, rfbE O157, and fliC h7 genes. Eighty isolates (7.9 %) from animal samples were found to produce Shiga toxin by ELISA, while by PCR, O157 STEC isolates were detected from 8 (0.8 %) samples and non-O157 STEC isolates from 43 (4.2 %) samples. STEC isolates were recovered mainly from sheep and goats, rarely from cattle, and not from pigs and chickens, suggesting that small ruminants constitute a potential risk for human infections. However, only three human specimens (0.4 %) were positive for the detection of Shiga toxins and all were PCR-negative. Similarly, all 60 vegetable samples were negative for toxin production and for toxin genes, but three samples (two roman rockets and one spinach) were positive by PCR for rfbE O157 and fliC h7 genes. These findings indicate that sheep, goats, cattle, and leafy vegetables can be a reservoir of STEC and Escherichia coli O157:H7 isolates in Greece, which are still rarely detected among humans.

  2. Presence of non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, enterotoxigenic E. coli, enteropathogenic E. coli and Salmonella in fresh beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.) juice from public markets in Mexico.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gómez-Aldapa, Carlos A; Rangel-Vargas, Esmeralda; Bautista-De León, Haydee; Castro-Rosas, Javier

    2014-10-01

    Unpasteurized juice has been associated with foodborne illness outbreaks for many years. Beetroot is a vegetable grown all over the world in temperate areas. In Mexico beetroot is consumed cooked in salads or raw as fresh unpasteurized juices. No data about the microbiological quality or safety of unpasteurized beetroot juices are available. Indicator bacteria, diarrheagenic Escherichia coli pathotypes (DEP) and Salmonella frequencies were determined for fresh unpasteurized beetroot juice from restaurants. One hundred unpasteurized beetroot juice samples were collected from public markets in Pachuca, Mexico. Frequencies in these samples were 100%, 75%, 53%, 9% and 4% of positive samples, for coliform bacteria, fecal coliforms, E. coli, DEP and Salmonella, respectively. Identified DEP included enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC), enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) and non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC). Identified Salmonella serotypes included Typhimurium and Enteritidis. This is the first report of microbiological quality and atypical EPEC, ETEC, non-O157 STEC and Salmonella isolation from fresh raw beetroot juice in Mexico. Fresh raw beetroot juice from markets is very probably an important factor contributing to the endemicity of atypical EPEC, ETEC, non-O157 STEC and Salmonella-related gastroenteritis in Mexico. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

  3. Comparison of Escherichia coli Isolates from humans, food, and farm and companion animals for presence of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli virulence markers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murinda, Shelton E; Nguyen, Lien T; Landers, Tippi L; Draughon, F Ann; Mathew, Alan G; Hogan, Joseph S; Smith, K Larry; Hancock, Dale D; Oliver, Stephen P

    2004-01-01

    The objective of this study was to characterize Escherichia coli isolates from dairy cows/feedlots, calves, mastitis, pigs, dogs, parrot, iguana, human disease, and food products for prevalence of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) virulence markers. The rationale of the study was that, isolates of the same serotypes that were obtained from different sources and possessed the same marker profiles, could be cross-species transmissible. Multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to detect presence of genes encoding Shiga toxin 1 and 2 (stx1 and stx2), H7 flagella (flicC), enterohemolysin (hly) and intimin (eaeA) in E. coli isolates (n = 400). Shiga toxin-producing isolates were tested for production of Shiga toxins (Stx1 and Stx2 and enterohemolysin. Of the E. coli O157:H7/H- strains, 150 of 164 (mostly human, cattle, and food) isolates were stx+. Sixty-five percent of O157 STEC produced both Stx1 and Stx2; 32% and 0.7% produced Stx2 or Stx1, respectively. Ninety-eight percent of O157 STEC had sequences for genes encoding intimin and enterohemolysin. Five of 20 E. coli O111, 4 of 14 O128 and 4 of 10 O26 were stx+ . Five of 6 stx+ O26 and O111 produced Stx1, however, stx+ O128 were Stx-negative. Acid resistance (93.3%) and tellurite resistance (87.3%) were common attributes of O157 STEC, whereas, non-O157 stx+ strains exhibited 38.5% and 30.8% of the respective resistances. stx-positive isolates were mostly associated with humans and cattle, whereas, all isolates from mastitis (n = 105), and pigs, dogs, parrot and iguanas (n = 48) were stx-negative. Multiplex PCR was an effective tool for characterizing STEC pathogenic profiles and distinguished STEC O157:H7 from other STEC. Isolates from cattle and human disease shared similar toxigenic profiles, whereas isolates from other disease sources had few characteristics in common with the former isolates. These data suggest interspecies transmissibility of certain serotypes, in particular, STEC O157:H7, between

  4. Immunoconcentration of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157 from animal faeces and raw meats by using Dynabeads anti-E. coli O157 and the VIDAS system

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Islam, M.A.; Heuvelink, A.E.; Talukder, K.A.; Boer, de E.

    2006-01-01

    To identify the reservoirs and routes of transmission of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157, sensitive detection and isolation methods are necessary. The sensitivity of traditional culture methods can be improved significantly by the inclusion of an immunoconcentration step,

  5. Isolation of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli harboring variant Shiga toxin genes from seafood

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    Sreepriya Prakasan

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Background and Aim: Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC are important pathogens of global significance. STEC are responsible for numerous food-borne outbreaks worldwide and their presence in food is a potential health hazard. The objective of the present study was to determine the incidence of STEC in fresh seafood in Mumbai, India, and to characterize STEC with respect to their virulence determinants. Materials and Methods: A total of 368 E. coli were isolated from 39 fresh seafood samples (18 finfish and 21 shellfish using culture-based methods. The isolates were screened by polymerase chain reaction (PCR for the genes commonly associated with STEC. The variant Shiga toxin genes were confirmed by Southern blotting and hybridization followed by DNA sequencing. Results: One or more Shiga toxins genes were detected in 61 isolates. Of 39 samples analyzed, 10 (25.64% samples harbored STEC. Other virulence genes, namely, eaeA (coding for an intimin and hlyA (hemolysin A were detected in 43 and 15 seafood isolates, respectively. The variant stx1 genes from 6 isolates were sequenced, five of which were found to be stx1d variants, while one sequence varied considerably from known stx1 sequences. Southern hybridization and DNA sequence analysis suggested putative Shiga toxin variant genes (stx2 in at least 3 other isolates. Conclusion: The results of this study showed the occurrence of STEC in seafood harboring one or more Shiga toxin genes. The detection of STEC by PCR may be hampered due to the presence of variant genes such as the stx1d in STEC. This is the first report of stx1d gene in STEC isolated from Indian seafood.

  6. Characterization of enteropathogenic and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in cattle and deer in a shared agroecosystem

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    Pallavi eSingh

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC is an important foodborne pathogen. Cattle are suggested to be an important reservoir for STEC; however, these pathogens have also been isolated from other livestock and wildlife. In this study we sought to investigate transmission of STEC, enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC and enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC between cattle and white-tailed deer in a shared agroecosystem. Cattle feces were collected from 100 animals in a Michigan dairy farm in July 2012, while 163 deer fecal samples were collected during two sampling periods (March and June. The locations of deer fecal pellets were recorded via geographic information system mapping and microsatellite multi-locus genotyping was used to link the fecal samples to individual deer at both time points. Following subculture to sorbitol MacConkey agar and STEC CHROMagar, the pathogens were characterized by serotyping, stx profiling, and PCR-based fingerprinting; multilocus sequence typing (MLST was performed on a subset. STEC and EHEC were cultured from 12% and 16% of cattle, respectively, and EPEC was found in 36%. Deer were significantly less likely to have a pathogen in March versus June where the frequency of STEC, EHEC, and EPEC was 1%, 6% and 22%, respectively. PCR fingerprinting and MLST clustered the cattle- and deer-derived strains together in a phylogenetic tree. Two STEC strains recovered from both animal species shared MLST and fingerprinting profiles, thereby providing evidence of interspecies transmission and highlighting the importance of wildlife species in pathogen shedding dynamics and persistence in the environment and cattle herds.

  7. Implementation of Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS for Identification and Characterization of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli (STEC in the United States

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    Rebecca L Lindsey

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC is an important foodborne pathogen capable of causing severe disease in humans. Rapid and accurate identification and characterization techniques are essential during outbreak investigations. Current methods for characterization of STEC are expensive and time-consuming. With the advent of rapid and cheap whole genome sequencing (WGS benchtop sequencers, the potential exists to replace traditional workflows with WGS. The aim of this study was to validate tools to do reference identification and characterization from WGS for STEC in a single workflow within an easy to use commercially available software platform. Publically available serotype, virulence, and antimicrobial resistance databases were downloaded from the Center for Genomic Epidemiology (CGE (www.genomicepidemiology.org and integrated into a genotyping plug-in with in silico PCR tools to confirm some of the virulence genes detected from WGS data. Additionally, down sampling experiments on the WGS sequence data were performed to determine a threshold for sequence coverage needed to accurately predict serotype and virulence genes using the established workflow. The serotype database was tested on a total of 228 genomes and correctly predicted from WGS for 96.1% of O serogroups and 96.5% of H serogroups identified by conventional testing techniques. A total of 59 genomes were evaluated to determine the threshold of coverage to detect the different WGS targets, 40 were evaluated for serotype and virulence gene detection and 19 for the stx gene subtypes. For serotype, 95% of the O and 100% of the H serogroups were detected at > 40x and ≥ 30x coverage, respectively. For virulence targets and stx gene subtypes, nearly all genes were detected at > 40x, though some targets were 100% detectable from genomes with coverage ≥20x. The resistance detection tool was 97% concordant with phenotypic testing results. With isolates sequenced to > 40x

  8. Implementation of Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) for Identification and Characterization of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in the United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lindsey, Rebecca L.; Pouseele, Hannes; Chen, Jessica C.; Strockbine, Nancy A.; Carleton, Heather A.

    2016-01-01

    Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is an important foodborne pathogen capable of causing severe disease in humans. Rapid and accurate identification and characterization techniques are essential during outbreak investigations. Current methods for characterization of STEC are expensive and time-consuming. With the advent of rapid and cheap whole genome sequencing (WGS) benchtop sequencers, the potential exists to replace traditional workflows with WGS. The aim of this study was to validate tools to do reference identification and characterization from WGS for STEC in a single workflow within an easy to use commercially available software platform. Publically available serotype, virulence, and antimicrobial resistance databases were downloaded from the Center for Genomic Epidemiology (CGE) (www.genomicepidemiology.org) and integrated into a genotyping plug-in with in silico PCR tools to confirm some of the virulence genes detected from WGS data. Additionally, down sampling experiments on the WGS sequence data were performed to determine a threshold for sequence coverage needed to accurately predict serotype and virulence genes using the established workflow. The serotype database was tested on a total of 228 genomes and correctly predicted from WGS for 96.1% of O serogroups and 96.5% of H serogroups identified by conventional testing techniques. A total of 59 genomes were evaluated to determine the threshold of coverage to detect the different WGS targets, 40 were evaluated for serotype and virulence gene detection and 19 for the stx gene subtypes. For serotype, 95% of the O and 100% of the H serogroups were detected at > 40x and ≥ 30x coverage, respectively. For virulence targets and stx gene subtypes, nearly all genes were detected at > 40x, though some targets were 100% detectable from genomes with coverage ≥20x. The resistance detection tool was 97% concordant with phenotypic testing results. With isolates sequenced to > 40x coverage, the different

  9. Possible mistranslation of Shiga toxin from pathogenic Escherichia coli as measured by MALDI-TOF and Orbitrap mass spectrometry

    Science.gov (United States)

    RATIONALE: Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are often subjected to DNA damaging antibiotics during culturing in order to elicit the bacterial SOS response and up-regulation of bacteriophage-encoded proteins including Shiga toxin (Stx). However, such antibiotic exposure and stress may al...

  10. Emerging types of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC O178 present in cattle, deer and humans from Argentina and Germany

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Angelika eMiko

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available More than 400 serotypes of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC have been implicated in outbreaks and sporadic human diseases. In recent years STEC strains belonging to serogroup O178 have been commonly isolated from cattle and food of bovine origin in South America and Europe. In order to explore the significance of these STEC strains as potential human pathogens, 74 German and Argentinean E. coli O178 strains from animals, food and humans were characterized phenotypically and investigated for their serotypes, stx-genotypes and forty-three virulence-associated markers by a real-time PCR-microarray. The majority (n=66 of the O178 strains belonged to serotype O178:H19. The remaining strains divided into O178:H7 (n=6, O178:H10 (n=1 and O178:H16 (n=1. STEC O178:H19 strains were mainly isolated from cattle and food of bovine origin, but one strain was from a patient with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS. Genotyping of the STEC O178:H19 strains by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis revealed two major clusters of genetically highly related strains which differ in their stx-genotypes and non-Stx putative virulence traits, including adhesins, toxins and serine-proteases. Cluster A-strains including the HUS-strain (n=35 carried genes associated with severe disease in humans (stx2a, stx2d, ehxA, saa, subAB1, lpfAO113, terE combined with stx1a, espP, iha. Cluster B-strains (n=26 showed a limited repertoire of virulence genes (stx2c, pagC, lpfAO113, espP, iha. Among O178:H7 strains isolated from deer meat and patients with uncomplicated disease a new STEC variant was detected that is associated with the genotype stx1c/stx2b/ehxA/subAB2/espI/[terE]/espP/iha. None of the STEC O178 strains was positive for locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE- and nle-genes. Results indicate that STEC O178:H19 strains belong to the growing group of LEE-negative STEC that should be considered with respect to their potential to cause diseases in humans.

  11. Conditional Function of Autoaggregative Protein Cah and Common cah Mutations in Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carter, Michelle Qiu; Brandl, Maria T; Kudva, Indira T; Katani, Robab; Moreau, Matthew R; Kapur, Vivek

    2018-01-01

    Cah is a calcium-binding autotransporter protein involved in autoaggregation and biofilm formation. Although cah is widespread in Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), we detected mutations in cah at a frequency of 31.3% in this pathogen. In STEC O157:H7 supershedder strain SS17, a large deletion results in a smaller coding sequence, encoding a protein lacking the C-terminal 71 amino acids compared with Cah in STEC O157:H7 strain EDL933. We examined the function of Cah in biofilm formation and host colonization to better understand the selective pressures for cah mutations. EDL933-Cah played a conditional role in biofilm formation in vitro : it enhanced E. coli DH5α biofilm formation on glass surfaces under agitated culture conditions that prevented autoaggregation but inhibited biofilm formation under hydrostatic conditions that facilitated autoaggregation. This function appeared to be strain dependent since Cah-mediated biofilm formation was diminished when an EDL933 cah gene was expressed in SS17. Deletion of cah in EDL933 enhanced bacterial attachment to spinach leaves and altered the adherence pattern of EDL933 to bovine recto-anal junction squamous epithelial (RSE) cells. In contrast, in trans expression of EDL933 cah in SS17 increased its attachment to leaf surfaces, and in DH5α, it enhanced its adherence to RSE cells. Hence, the ecological function of Cah appears to be modulated by environmental conditions and other bacterial strain-specific properties. Considering the prevalence of cah in STEC and its role in attachment and biofilm formation, cah mutations might be selected in ecological niches in which inactivation of Cah would result in an increased fitness in STEC during colonization of plants or animal hosts. IMPORTANCE Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) harbors genes encoding diverse adhesins, and many of these are known to play an important role in bacterial attachment and host colonization. We demonstrated here that the

  12. Characterization and zoonotic impact of Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli in some wild bird species

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    Hanaa Mohamed Fadel

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Aim: Wild birds are considered silent vectors of some zoonotic water and food borne pathogens of public health significance. Owing to the importance of Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC as the most pathogenic among the emerging diarrheagenic E. coli groups that can infect man; the present study was designed to detect the occurrence of STEC among wild birds in Egypt. Materials and Methods: A total of 177 intestinal content swab samples originating from five wild bird species were investigated for the presence of E. coli and STEC by standard culture methods. Suspect STEC isolates were further characterized by serotyping, random amplified polymorphic DNA polymerase chain reaction (RAPD PCR, antimicrobial resistance pattern and PCR detection of stx1, stx2, and eae genes. Results: A total of 30 suspect STEC isolates from 30 positive birds' samples were detected and identified on STEC CHROMagar (semi-captive pigeons, 15; house crows, 8; cattle egrets, 3; moorhens, 2; and house teals, 2. 25 isolates were grouped into 13 serogroups (O:20, O:25, O:26, O:27, O:63, O:78, O:111, O:114, O:125, O:128, O:142, O:153, and O:158, while five were rough strains. The distribution of STEC virulence genes among wild birds was as follows: 16 birds carried stx1 gene only (nine pigeons [28.1%], six crows [7.1%], and one cattle egret [5.6%]. stx1 and stx2 genes together were detected in four birds (one cattle egret [5.6%], two moorhens [6.1%], and one house teal, [10%]. Only one pigeon (3.1% possessed the three alleles. Disk diffusion test results showed that cefixime was the most effective against STEC serotypes with (93.3% sensitivity, followed by gentamycin (56.7%, and amoxicillin (50%. On the other hand, all the recovered STEC isolates were resistant to cefotaxime, doxycycline, cephalothin, and sulfisoxazole. RAPD fingerprinting using primers OPA-2 and OPA-9 showed that STEC isolates were heterogeneous; they yielded 30 and 27 different clusters

  13. Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli distribution and characterization in a pasture-based cow-calf production system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baltasar, Patrícia; Milton, Stewart; Swecker, William; Elvinger, François; Ponder, Monica

    2014-05-01

    Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains are commonly found in cattle gastrointestinal tracts. In this study, prevalence and distribution of E. coli virulence genes (stx1, stx2, hlyA, and eaeA) were assessed in a cow-calf pasture-based production system. Angus cows (n = 90) and their calves (n = 90) were kept in three on-farm locations, and fecal samples were collected at three consecutive times (July, August, and September 2011). After enrichment of samples, stx1, stx2, eaeA, and hlyA were amplified and detected with a multiplex PCR (mPCR) assay. Fecal samples positive for stx genes were obtained from 93.3% (84 of 90) of dams and 95.6% (86 of 90) of calves at one or more sampling times. Age class (dam or calf), spatial distribution of cattle (farm locations B, H, K), and sampling time influenced prevalence and distribution of virulence genes in the herd. From 293 stx-positive fecal samples, 744 E. coli colonies were isolated. Virulence patterns of isolates were determined through mPCR assay: stx1 was present in 41.9% (312 of 744) of the isolates, stx2 in 6.5% (48 of 744), eaeA in 4.2% (31 of 744), and hlyA in 2.4% (18 of 744). Prevalence of non-O157 STEC was high among the isolates: 33.8% (112 of 331) were STEC O121, 3.6% (12 of 331) were STEC O103, and 1.8% (6 of 331) were STEC O113. One isolate (0.3%) was identified as STEC O157. Repetitive element sequence-based PCR (rep-PCR) fingerprinting was used to study genetic diversity of stx-positive E. coli isolates. Overall, rep-PCR fingerprints were highly similar, supporting the hypothesis that strains are transmitted between animals but not necessarily from a dam to its calf. Highly similar STEC isolates were obtained at each sampling time, but isolates obtained from dams were more diverse than those from calves, suggesting that strain differences in transference may exist. Understanding the transfer of E. coli from environmental and animal sources to calves may aid in developing intervention

  14. Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in meat: a preliminary simulation study on detection capabilities for three sampling methods

    Science.gov (United States)

    The objective of this simulation study is to determine which sampling method (Cozzini core sampler, core drill shaving, and N-60 surface excision) will better detect Shiga Toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) at varying levels of contamination when present in the meat. 1000 simulated experiments...

  15. Detection, Characterization, and Typing of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parsons, Brendon D; Zelyas, Nathan; Berenger, Byron M; Chui, Linda

    2016-01-01

    Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are responsible for gastrointestinal diseases reported in numerous outbreaks around the world. Given the public health importance of STEC, effective detection, characterization and typing is critical to any medical laboratory system. While non-O157 serotypes account for the majority of STEC infections, frontline microbiology laboratories may only screen for STEC using O157-specific agar-based methods. As a result, non-O157 STEC infections are significantly under-reported. This review discusses recent advances on the detection, characterization and typing of STEC with emphasis on work performed at the Alberta Provincial Laboratory for Public Health (ProvLab). Candidates for the detection of all STEC serotypes include chromogenic agars, enzyme immunoassays (EIA) and quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Culture methods allow further characterization of isolates, whereas qPCR provides the greatest sensitivity and specificity, followed by EIA. The virulence gene profiles using PCR arrays and stx gene subtypes can subsequently be determined. Different non-O157 serotypes exhibit markedly different virulence gene profiles and a greater prevalence of stx1 than stx2 subtypes compared to O157:H7 isolates. Finally, recent innovations in whole genome sequencing (WGS) have allowed it to emerge as a candidate for the characterization and typing of STEC in diagnostic surveillance isolates. Methods of whole genome analysis such as single nucleotide polymorphisms and k-mer analysis are concordant with epidemiological data and standard typing methods, such as pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and multiple-locus variable number tandem repeat analysis while offering additional strain differentiation. Together these findings highlight improved strategies for STEC detection using currently available systems and the development of novel approaches for future surveillance.

  16. Detection, Characterization and Typing of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brendon David Parsons

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC are responsible for gastrointestinal diseases reported in numerous outbreaks around the world. Given the public health importance of STEC, effective detection, characterization and typing is critical to any medical laboratory system. While non-O157 serotypes account for the majority of STEC infections, frontline microbiology laboratories may only screen for STEC using O157-specific agar-based methods. As a result, non-O157 STEC infections are significantly under-reported. This review discusses recent advances on the detection, characterization and typing of STEC with emphasis on work performed at the Alberta Provincial Laboratory for Public Health (ProvLab. Candidates for the detection of all STEC serotypes include chromogenic agars, enzyme immunoassays (EIA and real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR. Culture methods allow further characterization of isolates, whereas qPCR provides the greatest sensitivity and specificity, followed by EIA. The virulence gene profiles using PCR arrays and stx gene subtypes can subsequently be determined. Different non-O157 serotypes exhibit markedly different virulence gene profiles and a greater prevalence of stx1 than stx2 subtypes compared to O157:H7 isolates. Finally, recent innovations in whole genome sequencing (WGS have allowed it to emerge as a candidate for the characterization and typing of STEC in diagnostic surveillance isolates. Methods of whole genome analysis such as single nucleotide polymorphisms and k-mer analysis are concordant with epidemiological data and standard typing methods, such as pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and multiple-locus variable number tandem repeat analysis while offering additional strain differentiation. Together these findings highlight improved strategies for STEC detection using currently available systems and the development of novel approaches for future surveillance.

  17. Inactivation of a diverse set of shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in ground beef by high pressure processing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are frequently implicated in foodborne illness outbreaks and recalls of ground beef. In this study we determined the High Pressure Processing (HPP) D-10 value (the processing conditions needed to reduce the microbial population by 1 log) of 39 individua...

  18. Detection and characterization of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in game meat and ready-to-eat meat products.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Díaz-Sánchez, S; Sánchez, S; Sánchez, M; Herrera-León, S; Hanning, I; Vidal, D

    2012-11-15

    A total of 142 samples of game meat and ready-to-eat meat products from red deer and wild boar were analysed in order to assess the presence of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC). Shiga-toxin encoding genes (stx genes) were detected by PCR in 36 (25.4%) of the samples and STEC was isolated from 8 (5.6%) of the same samples. None of the samples tested positive for E. coli O157:H7. Four different serotypes were found among the 8 STEC isolates, with serotype O27:H30 being predominant (62.5%, 5/8). The PCR assay indicated the presence of the stx2 gene in all of the STEC isolates and further subtyping resulted in detection of three different subtypes: stx2a, stx2b and stx2g. The only stx1-positive isolate was further subtyped as stx1c. The ehxA gene was detected in 3 (37.5%) of the isolates and none of them contained the eae gene. All STEC isolates were sensitive to the 13 antibiotics tested. Some isolates possessed serotypes and virulence gene profiles previously associated with STEC infections in humans. The isolation of a STEC strain carrying the stx2a subtype from a ready-to-eat meat product from deer suggests the role of these products as a potential source of STEC infections in humans. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Comparative evaluation of the Ridascreen Verotoxin enzyme immunoassay for detection of Shiga-toxin producing strains of Escherichia coli (STEC) from food and other sources.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beutin, L; Steinrück, H; Krause, G; Steege, K; Haby, S; Hultsch, G; Appel, B

    2007-03-01

    To evaluate the suitability of the commercially distributed Ridascreen Verotoxin enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for detection of known genetic types of the Vero (Shiga) toxins 1 (Stx1) and 2 (Stx2) families and to determine its relative sensitivity and specificity. The Ridascreen-EIA was compared with the Vero cell assay, a P(1)-glycoprotein receptor EIA and with stx gene-specific PCs for detection of Stx with 43 Shiga toxin-producing strains of Escherichia coli (STEC) reference strains and with 241 test strains. The Ridascreen-EIA detects strains producing Stx1 and variants Stx1c and Stx1d, as well as Stx2 and variants Stx2d1, Stx2d2, Stx2e, Stx2d, Stx2-O118 (Stx2d-ount), Stx2-NV206, Stx2f and Stx2g. The assay showed a relative sensitivity of 95.7% and a relative specificity of 98.7%. Some of the Stx2-O118-, Stx2e- and Stx2g-producing STEC were not detected with the Ridascreen-EIA probably because of low amount of toxin produced by these strains. The Ridascreen-EIA is able to detect all known types of Stx and is applicable for routine screening of bacterial isolates owing to its high specificity. It is less applicable for testing samples where low amounts of Stx are expected, such as mixed cultures and certain Stx2 variants. This study presents a first comprehensive evaluation of the Ridascreen-EIA, a rapid standardized STEC screening test for routine diagnostic laboratories. Data are presented on the type of the spectrum of Stx that are detected with this immunoassay and its advantages and limits for practical use.

  20. Molecular detection and antimicrobial resistance of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli strains isolated from diarrheal cases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aslani, Mehdi M.; Salmanzadeh-Ahrabi, S.; Jafari, F.; Zali, Reza M.; Mani, M.; Alikhani, Yousef M.

    2008-01-01

    Objective was to identify and classify Iranian isolates of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (E. coli) on the basis of presence of virulence genes and to determine antibiotic susceptibility of isolated strains. The current cross-sectional study was conducted in 2005 at the Pasteur Institute, Tehran, Iran. One hundred and ninety-three diarrheagenic E. coli isolated from diarrheal patients in different regions of Iran were included in current study. Virulence factors genees for diarrheagenic E. coli were detected by polymerase chain reaction. Of the 193 diarrheagenic E. coli detected by PCR, 86(44.5%) were Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), 74 (38.4%) enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), 19 (9.8%) enteroaggregative E. coli and 14 (7.3%) enterotoxigenic E. coli isolates. Susceptibility to 12 clinically important antimicrobial agents was determined for 193 strains of diarrhheagenic E. coli. A high incidence of resistance to tetracycline (63%), ampicillin (62%), streptomycin (56%), amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (44.5%), trimetoprim/sulphamethoxazole (39.5%) and cephalothin (37%) was observed. The STEC and EPEC strains with high resistance to tetracycline and ampicillin but highly susceptible to quinolones are among the most important causative agent of diarrhea in Iran. This study suggests that antimicrobial resistance is wide spread among E. coli strains colonizing Iranian patients. Guidelines for appropriate use of antibiotics in developing countries require updating. (author)

  1. Mathematical modeling of growth of non-O157 Shiga Toxin-producing Escherichia coli in raw ground beef

    Science.gov (United States)

    The objective of this study was to investigate the growth of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC, including serogroups O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145) in raw ground beef and to develop mathematical models to describe the bacterial growth under different temperature conditions. Three prima...

  2. Effects of sugarcane juice addition on the population dynamics of Escherichia coli and the presence of Shiga-toxigenic E. coli during the anaerobic codigestion of dairy cattle manure

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    Paula Maria Pilotto Branco

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the addition of sugarcane juice on the population dynamics of Escherichia coli and the presence of Shiga-toxigenic E. coli (STEC during the anaerobic codigestion of dairy cattle manure. For the overall analyses at the end of a hydraulic retention time of 90 days, ten two-liter batch-type biodigesters were divided into two treatment groups: biodigester containing manure and water (MW and the biodigester containing manure, water and sugarcane juice (MSC. For monitoring the population dynamics and presence of microorganisms, pH, and volatile acidity, tests were carried out every ten days, on 36 smaller-scale batch biodigesters made of one-liter plastic bottles (18 for each treatment. The reductions in E. coli population over time were significant in the MW (60 days and MSC (20 days biodigesters. Inactivation of STEC occurred in a shorter period (40 days in MW and <10 days in MSC. Significant differences were obtained between the two treatments, with the pH values being lower, the concentrations of volatile acids (VA being higher, and the inactivation of E. coli and STEC being faster in the biodigester with sugarcane juice added. The amount of sugarcane juice applied (7% suggests its suitability for the sanitization of dairy cattle manure for use as a biofertilizer, given the high reduction in the E. coli population and inactivation of STEC.

  3. Investigation of a national outbreak of STEC Escherichia coli O157 using online consumer panel control methods: Great Britain, October 2014.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sinclair, C; Jenkins, C; Warburton, F; Adak, G K; Harris, J P

    2017-04-01

    In October 2014, Public Health England (PHE) identified cases of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) serogroup O157 sharing a multiple locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) profile. We conducted a case-control study using multivariable logistic regression to calculate adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) testing a range of exposures. Cases were defined as laboratory-confirmed STEC O157 with the implicated MLVA profile, were UK residents aged ⩾18 years with symptom onset between 25 September and 30 October 2014, and had no history of travel abroad within 5 days of symptom onset. One hundred and two cases were identified. Cases were mostly female (65%; median age 49, range 2-92 years). It was the second largest outbreak seen in England, to date, and a case-control study was conducted using market research panel controls and online survey methods. These methods were instrumental in the rapid data collection and analysis necessary to allow traceback investigations for short shelf-life products. This is a new method of control recruitment and this is the first in which it was a standalone recruitment method. The case-control study suggested a strong association between consumption of a ready-to-eat food and disease (aOR 28, 95% CI 5·0-157) from one retailer. No reactive microbiological testing of food items during the outbreak was possible due to the short shelf-life of the product. Collaboration with industrial bodies is needed to ensure timely traceback exercises to identify contamination events and initiate appropriate and focused microbiological testing and implement control measures.

  4. Contribution of Urease to Colonization by Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steyert, Susan R.

    2012-01-01

    Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is a food-borne pathogen with a low infectious dose that colonizes the colon in humans and can cause severe clinical manifestations such as hemolytic-uremic syndrome. The urease enzyme, encoded in the STEC chromosome, has been demonstrated to act as a virulence factor in other bacterial pathogens. The NH3 produced as urease hydrolyzes urea can aid in buffering bacteria in acidic environments as well as provide an easily assimilated source of nitrogen that bacteria can use to gain a metabolic advantage over intact microflora. Here, we explore the role of urease in STEC pathogenicity. The STEC urease enzyme exhibited maximum activity near neutral pH and during the stationary-growth phase. Experiments altering growth conditions performed with three phylogenetically distinct urease-positive strains demonstrated that the STEC ure gene cluster is inducible by neither urea nor pH but does respond to nitrogen availability. Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR) data indicate that nitrogen inhibits the transcriptional response. The deletion of the ure gene locus was constructed in STEC strain 88-0643, and the ure mutant was used with the wild-type strain in competition experiments in mouse models to examine the contribution of urease. The wild-type strain was twice as likely to survive passage through the acidic stomach and demonstrated an enhanced ability to colonize the intestinal tract compared to the ure mutant strain. These in vivo experiments reveal that, although the benefit STEC gains from urease expression is modest and not absolutely required for colonization, urease can contribute to the pathogenicity of STEC. PMID:22665380

  5. Multiplex real-time PCR assays for detection of eight Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in food samples by melting curve analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Prashant; Mustapha, Azlin

    2015-12-23

    Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are pathogenic strains of E. coli that can cause bloody diarrhea and kidney failure. Seven STEC serogroups, O157, O26, O45, O103, O111, O121 and O145 are responsible for more than 71% of the total infections caused by this group of pathogens. All seven serogroups are currently considered as adulterants in non-intact beef products in the U.S. In this study, two multiplex melt curve real-time PCR assays with internal amplification controls (IACs) were standardized for the detection of eight STEC serogroups. The first multiplex assay targeted E. coli serogroups O145, O121, O104, and O157; while the second set detected E. coli serogroups O26, O45, O103 and O111. The applicability of the assays was tested using 11 different meat and produce samples. For food samples spiked with a cocktail of four STEC serogroups with a combined count of 10 CFU/25 g food, all targets of the multiplex assays were detected after an enrichment period of 6h. The assays also worked efficiently when 325 g of food samples were spiked with 10 CFU of STECs. The assays are not dependent on fluorescent-labeled probes or immunomagnetic beads, and can be used for the detection of eight STEC serogroups in less than 11h. Routine preliminary screening of STECs in food samples is performed by testing for the presence of STEC virulence genes. The assays developed in this study can be useful as a first- or second-tier test for the identification of the eight O serogroup-specific genes in suspected food samples. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  6. Virulence factors, serogroups and antimicrobial resistance properties of Escherichia coli strains in fermented dairy products.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dehkordi, Farhad Safarpoor; Yazdani, Farshad; Mozafari, Jalal; Valizadeh, Yousef

    2014-04-07

    From a clinical perspective, it is essential to know the microbial safety of fermented dairy products. Doogh and kashk are fermented dairies. These products are used by millions of people but their microbial qualities are unknown. Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is one of the most commonly detected pathogens in the cases of food poisoning and food-borne illnesses. The present investigation was carried out in order to study the molecular characterization and antimicrobial resistance properties of STEC strains isolated from fermented dairy products. Six hundred fermented dairy samples were collected and immediately transferred to the laboratory. All samples were cultured immediately and those that were E. coli-positive were analyzed for the presence of O157 , O26, O103, O111, O145, O45, O91, O113, O121 and O128 STEC serogroups, tetA, tetB, blaSHV, CITM, cmlA, cat1, aadA1, dfrA1, qnr, aac (3)-IV, sul1 and ereA antibiotic resistance genes and stx1, stx2, eaeA, ehly, cnf1, cnf2, iutA, cdtB, papA, traT, sfaS and fyuA virulence factors using PCR. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed also using disk diffusion methodology with Mueller-Hinton agar. Fifty out of 600 (8.33%) dairy samples harbored E. coli. In addition, yoghurt was the most commonly contaminated dairy. O157 (26%) and O26 (12%) were the most commonly detected serogroups. A significant difference was found between the frequency of Attaching and Effacing E. coli and Enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (P Fermented dairy products can easily become contaminated by antibiotic resistant STEC strains. Our findings should raise awareness about antibiotic resistance in Iran. Clinicians should exercise caution when prescribing antibiotics, especially in veterinary treatments.

  7. Epithelial and Mesenchymal Cells in the Bovine Colonic Mucosa Differ in Their Responsiveness to Escherichia coli Shiga Toxin 1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cells in the depth of the crypts in the bovine colon express CD77 molecules that potentially act as receptors for Shiga toxins (Stx). The implication of this finding for the intestinal colonization 25 of cattle with human pathogenic Stx-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) remains undefined. We used f...

  8. Current pathogenic Escherichia coli foodborne outbreak cases and therapy development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Shih-Chun; Lin, Chih-Hung; Aljuffali, Ibrahim A; Fang, Jia-You

    2017-08-01

    Food contamination by pathogenic microorganisms has been a serious public health problem and a cause of huge economic losses worldwide. Foodborne pathogenic Escherichia coli (E. coli) contamination, such as that with E. coli O157 and O104, is very common, even in developed countries. Bacterial contamination may occur during any of the steps in the farm-to-table continuum from environmental, animal, or human sources and cause foodborne illness. To understand the causes of the foodborne outbreaks by E. coli and food-contamination prevention measures, we collected and investigated the past 10 years' worldwide reports of foodborne E. coli contamination cases. In the first half of this review article, we introduce the infection and symptoms of five major foodborne diarrheagenic E. coli pathotypes: enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), Shiga toxin-producing E. coli/enterohemorrhagic E. coli (STEC/EHEC), Shigella/enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC), enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC), and enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC). In the second half of this review article, we introduce the foodborne outbreak cases caused by E. coli in natural foods and food products. Finally, we discuss current developments that can be applied to control and prevent bacterial food contamination.

  9. House Flies in the Confined Cattle Environment Carry Non-O157 Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Puri-Giri, R; Ghosh, A; Thomson, J L; Zurek, L

    2017-05-01

    Cattle manure is one of the primary larval developmental habitats of house flies, Musca domestica (L.). Cattle serve as asymptomatic reservoirs of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), and bacteria are released into the environment in cattle feces. The USDA-FSIS declared seven STEC serogroups (O157, O26, O45, O103, O145, O121, and O111) as adulterants in beef products. In addition, the serogroup O104 was a culprit of a large outbreak in Germany in 2011. Our study aimed to assess the prevalence of seven non-O157 STEC (O26, O45, O145, O103, O121, O111, and O104) serogroups in adult house flies. Flies (n = 463) were collected from nine feedlots and three dairy farms in six states in the United States and individually processed. This involved a culturing approach with immunomagnetic separation followed by multiplex polymerase chain reactions for detection of individual serogroups and virulence traits. The concentration of bacteria on modified Possé agar ranged between 1.0 × 101 and 7.0 × 107 (mean: 1.5 ± 0.3 × 106) CFU/fly. Out of 463 house flies, 159 (34.3%) carried one or more of six E. coli serogroups of interest. However, STEC was found in 1.5% of house flies from feedlots only. These were E. coli O103 and O104 harboring stx1 and ehxA and E. coli O45 with stx1, eae, and ehxA. This is the first study reporting the isolation of non-O157 STEC in house flies from the confined cattle environment and indicating a potential role of this insect as a vector and reservoir of non-O157 STEC in confined beef cattle. © The Authors 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  10. Assessment of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli isolates from wildlife meat as potential pathogens for humans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miko, Angelika; Pries, Karin; Haby, Sabine; Steege, Katja; Albrecht, Nadine; Krause, Gladys; Beutin, Lothar

    2009-10-01

    A total of 140 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains from wildlife meat (deer, wild boar, and hare) isolated in Germany between 1998 and 2006 were characterized with respect to their serotypes and virulence markers associated with human pathogenicity. The strains grouped into 38 serotypes, but eight O groups (21, 146, 128, 113, 22, 88, 6, and 91) and four H types (21, 28, 2, and 8) accounted for 71.4% and 75.7% of all STEC strains from game, respectively. Eighteen of the serotypes, including enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) O26:[H11] and O103:H2, were previously found to be associated with human illness. Genes linked to high-level virulence for humans (stx(2), stx(2d), and eae) were present in 46 (32.8%) STEC strains from game. Fifty-four STEC isolates from game belonged to serotypes which are frequently found in human patients (O103:H2, O26:H11, O113:H21, O91:H21, O128:H2, O146:H21, and O146:H28). These 54 STEC isolates were compared with 101 STEC isolates belonging to the same serotypes isolated from farm animals, from their food products, and from human patients. Within a given serotype, most STEC strains were similar with respect to their stx genotypes and other virulence attributes, regardless of origin. The 155 STEC strains were analyzed for genetic similarity by XbaI pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. O103:H2, O26:H11, O113:H21, O128:H2, and O146:H28 STEC isolates from game were 85 to 100% similar to STEC isolates of the same strains from human patients. By multilocus sequence typing, game EHEC O103:H2 strains were attributed to a clonal lineage associated with hemorrhagic diseases in humans. The results from our study indicate that game animals represent a reservoir for and a potential source of human pathogenic STEC and EHEC strains.

  11. Assessment of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Isolates from Wildlife Meat as Potential Pathogens for Humans▿

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miko, Angelika; Pries, Karin; Haby, Sabine; Steege, Katja; Albrecht, Nadine; Krause, Gladys; Beutin, Lothar

    2009-01-01

    A total of 140 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains from wildlife meat (deer, wild boar, and hare) isolated in Germany between 1998 and 2006 were characterized with respect to their serotypes and virulence markers associated with human pathogenicity. The strains grouped into 38 serotypes, but eight O groups (21, 146, 128, 113, 22, 88, 6, and 91) and four H types (21, 28, 2, and 8) accounted for 71.4% and 75.7% of all STEC strains from game, respectively. Eighteen of the serotypes, including enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) O26:[H11] and O103:H2, were previously found to be associated with human illness. Genes linked to high-level virulence for humans (stx2, stx2d, and eae) were present in 46 (32.8%) STEC strains from game. Fifty-four STEC isolates from game belonged to serotypes which are frequently found in human patients (O103:H2, O26:H11, O113:H21, O91:H21, O128:H2, O146:H21, and O146:H28). These 54 STEC isolates were compared with 101 STEC isolates belonging to the same serotypes isolated from farm animals, from their food products, and from human patients. Within a given serotype, most STEC strains were similar with respect to their stx genotypes and other virulence attributes, regardless of origin. The 155 STEC strains were analyzed for genetic similarity by XbaI pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. O103:H2, O26:H11, O113:H21, O128:H2, and O146:H28 STEC isolates from game were 85 to 100% similar to STEC isolates of the same strains from human patients. By multilocus sequence typing, game EHEC O103:H2 strains were attributed to a clonal lineage associated with hemorrhagic diseases in humans. The results from our study indicate that game animals represent a reservoir for and a potential source of human pathogenic STEC and EHEC strains. PMID:19700552

  12. Synanthropic rodents as possible reservoirs of shigatoxigenic Escherichia coli strains

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    Ximena eBlanco Crivelli

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Shigatoxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC strains are worldwide zoonotic pathogen responsible for different cases of human disease including hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS. Transmission of STEC to humans occurs through the consumption of food and water contaminated by faeces of carriers and by person-to-person contact.The objective of this study was twofold: (a to investigate whether synanthropic rodents are possible reservoirs of STEC in the urban area and (b whether a particular genus out of synanthropic rodent is the principal carrier of STEC.One hundred forty-five rodents were captured in Buenos Aires City. Screening for stx1/stx2 and rfbO157 was done by PCR from the confluence zone. STEC isolates were further characterized with biochemical tests by standard methods. Additional virulence factors (eae, ehxA and saa were also determined by PCR. Forty-one of the rodents were necropsied and sample of kidney and small and large intestine were taken for histopathological diagnosis. The samples sections were stained with hematoxylin-eosin, and observed by light microscopy to evaluate the systemic involvement of these species in natural infections. STEC was isolated from seven out of twenty seven suspect animals at screening. The following genotypes were found in the STEC strains: stx1/stx2/ehxA (1, stx2 (4, stx2/ehxA (1, stx2/ehxA/eae (1. Neither gross nor microscopic lesions compatible with those produced by Shiga toxin were observed in the studied organs of necropsied rodents.The bivariate analysis including the hundred forty-five rodents data showed that the isolation of STEC is associated positively to Rattus genus. This synanthropic species may play a role in the transmissibility of the agent thus being a risk to the susceptible population. Their control should be included specifically in actions to dismiss the contamination of food and water by STEC in the urban area, as additional strategies for epidemiological control.

  13. Efecto citotóxico en colon humano de Escherichia coli enterohemorrágico aislado de terneros con diarrea sanguinolenta Cytotoxic effect in human colon of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli isolated from calves with bloody diarrhea

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    V. Pistone Creydt

    2005-09-01

    Full Text Available Escherichia coli productor de toxina Shiga (STEC es el patógeno emergente en alimentos de mayor impacto, siendo su principal reservorio el ganado bovino. STEC puede causar diarrea, colitis hemorrágica y síndrome urémico hemolítico. El presente trabajo estudió la acción citotóxica de dos cepas de STEC aisladas de heces de terneros diarreicos en colon humano in vitro. Los fragmentos se montaron como un diafragma en una cámara de Ussing y se incubaron con las cepas patógenas. El flujo neto absortivo de agua (Jw disminuyó y la corriente de cortocircuito (Isc aumentó significativamente (P Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC is one of the most important emergent pathogen in foods, being its main reservoir bovine cattle. STEC can cause diarrhea, hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic-uremic syndrome. The present work have studied the cytotoxic action in human colon of cultures of two STEC strains isolated from faeces of calves with bloody diarrhea. Colonic mucosa was mounted as a diaphragm in a Ussing chamber and incubated with the cultures of pathogenic strains. Net water flow (Jw decreased and the short-circuit current (Isc increased significantly (p < 0,01 compared to negative control. Tissues showed an erosion of the mucose, epithelial exfoliation, and presence of pseudo-membranes in the lumen. Mild circulatory lesions were observed in the lamina propia. A moderate neutrophils infiltration was observed in the lumen and into the epithelial cells. Colonic crypts were not disrupted. Both experimental strains caused a similar lesion on colon tissues. This is the first study that shows that cultures of STEC strains isolated from bovine cattle produce cytotoxic effects in vitro in human colon.

  14. Detection of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli by use of melting-curve analysis and real-time multiplex PCR.

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    Guion, Chase E; Ochoa, Theresa J; Walker, Christopher M; Barletta, Francesca; Cleary, Thomas G

    2008-05-01

    Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli strains are important causes of diarrhea in children from the developing world and are now being recognized as emerging enteropathogens in the developed world. Current methods of detection are too expensive and labor-intensive for routine detection of these organisms to be practical. We developed a real-time fluorescence-based multiplex PCR for the detection of all six of the currently recognized classes of diarrheagenic E. coli. The primers were designed to specifically amplify eight different virulence genes in the same reaction: aggR for enteroaggregative E. coli, stIa/stIb and lt for enterotoxigenic E. coli, eaeA for enteropathogenic E. coli and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), stx(1) and stx(2) for STEC, ipaH for enteroinvasive E. coli, and daaD for diffusely adherent E. coli (DAEC). Eighty-nine of ninety diarrheagenic E. coli and 36/36 nonpathogenic E. coli strains were correctly identified using this approach (specificity, 1.00; sensitivity, 0.99). The single false negative was a DAEC strain. The total time between preparation of DNA from E. coli colonies on agar plates and completion of PCR and melting-curve analysis was less than 90 min. The cost of materials was low. Melting-point analysis of real-time multiplex PCR is a rapid, sensitive, specific, and inexpensive method for detection of diarrheagenic E. coli.

  15. DNA fingerprinting of Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli O157 based on Multiple-Locus Variable-Number Tandem-Repeats Analysis (MLVA

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    Vardund Traute

    2003-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The ability to react early to possible outbreaks of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and to trace possible sources relies on the availability of highly discriminatory and reliable techniques. The development of methods that are fast and has the potential for complete automation is needed for this important pathogen. Methods In all 73 isolates of shiga-toxin producing E. coli O157 (STEC were used in this study. The two available fully sequenced STEC genomes were scanned for tandem repeated stretches of DNA, which were evaluated as polymorphic markers for isolate identification. Results The 73 E. coli isolates displayed 47 distinct patterns and the MLVA assay was capable of high discrimination between the E. coli O157 strains. The assay was fast and all the steps can be automated. Conclusion The findings demonstrate a novel high discriminatory molecular typing method for the important pathogen E. coli O157 that is fast, robust and offers many advantages compared to current methods.

  16. Occurrence and characterization of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 and other non-sorbitol-fermenting E. coli in cattle and humans in urban areas of Morogoro, Tanzania.

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    Lupindu, Athumani M; Olsen, John E; Ngowi, Helena A; Msoffe, Peter L M; Mtambo, Madundo M; Scheutz, Flemming; Dalsgaard, Anders

    2014-07-01

    Escherichia coli strains such as Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), enteropathogenic E. coli, enterotoxigenic, attaching, and effacing E. coli, and enteroinvasive E. coli cause diarrhea in humans. Although other serotypes exist, the most commonly reported STEC in outbreaks is O157:H7. A cross-sectional study was conducted to isolate and characterize non-sorbitol-fermenting (NSF) E. coli O157:H7 from urban and periurban livestock settings of Morogoro, Tanzania. Human stool, cattle feces, and soil and water samples were collected. Observations and questionnaire interview studies were used to gather information about cattle and manure management practices in the study area. E. coli were isolated on sorbitol MacConkey agar and characterized by conventional biochemical tests. Out of 1049 samples, 143 (13.7%) yielded NSF E. coli. Serological and antimicrobial tests and molecular typing were performed to NSF E. coli isolates. These procedures detected 10 (7%) pathogenic E. coli including STEC (n=7), enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) (n=2), and attaching and effacing E. coli (A/EEC) (n=1) strains. The STEC strains had the ability to produce VT1 and different VT2 toxin subtypes that caused cytopathic effects on Vero cells. The prevalence of STEC in cattle was 1.6%, out of which 0.9% was serotype O157:H7 and the overall prevalence of diarrheagenic E. coli in cattle was 2.2%. The serotypes O157:H7, O142:H34, O113:H21, O+:H-, O+:H16, and O25:H4 were identified. One ESBL-producing isolate showed the MLST type ST131. To our knowledge, this is the first finding in Tanzania of this recently emerged worldwide pandemic clonal group, causing widespread antimicrobial-resistant infections, and adds knowledge of the geographical distribution of ST131. Cattle manure was indiscriminately deposited within residential areas, and there was direct contact between humans and cattle feces during manure handling. Cattle and manure management practices expose humans, animals, and the environment

  17. Prevalence and Characterization of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Isolated from Slaughtered Qurban Animal in Jakarta Province

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    Siti Gusti Ningrum

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available This study was conducted to investigate the presence of shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC and the possibility of carrying rfbE gene and H7 flagellar on meat, liver, and stool samples collected from Jakarta Province of Indonesia. A total of 51 samples collected from meat, liver, and stool of slaughtered cattle from qurban festival were tested using conventional culture and multiplex PCR methods. STEC non O157 were detected in meat (5.3% and stool (8.3% with one isolate from stool carried H7 flagellar. However, all isolates were lacking of rfbE gene. In antimicrobial susceptibility tests, the STEC isolates showed antibiotic resistance to erythromycin and oxacillin. Overall, the result shows that meat and liver of this origin activity represents a potential risk to human health.

  18. Comparison of clinical and immunological findings in gnotobiotic piglets infected with Escherichia coli O104:H4 outbreak strain and EHEC O157:H7.

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    Wöchtl, Bettina; Gunzer, Florian; Gerner, Wilhelm; Gasse, Hagen; Koch, Michaela; Bagó, Zoltán; Ganter, Martin; Weissenböck, Herbert; Dinhopl, Nora; Coldewey, Sina M; von Altrock, Alexandra; Waldmann, Karl-Heinz; Saalmüller, Armin; Zimmermann, Kurt; Steinmann, Jörg; Kehrmann, Jan; Klein-Hitpass, Ludger; Blom, Jochen; Ehricht, Ralf; Engelmann, Ines; Hennig-Pauka, Isabel

    2017-01-01

    Shiga toxin (Stx) producing Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) (STEC) is the most frequent cause of diarrhoea-positive haemolytic uraemic syndrome (D + HUS) in humans. In 2011, a huge outbreak with an STEC O104:H4 strain in Germany highlighted the limited possibilities for causative treatment of this syndrome. The responsible STEC strain was found to combine Stx production with adherence mechanisms normally found in enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC). Pathotypes of E. coli evolve and can exhibit different adhesion mechanisms. It has been shown previously that neonatal gnotobiotic piglets are susceptible for infection with STEC, such as STEC O157:H7 as well as for EAEC, which are considered to be the phylogenetic origin of E. coli O104:H4. This study was designed to characterise the host response to infection with the STEC O104:H4 outbreak strain in comparison to an STEC O157:H7 isolate by evaluating clinical parameters (scoring) and markers of organ dysfunction (biochemistry), as well as immunological (flow cytometry, assessment of cytokines/chemokines and acute phase proteins) and histological alterations (light- and electron microscopy) in a gnotobiotic piglet model of haemolytic uraemic syndrome. We observed severe clinical symptoms, such as diarrhoea, dehydration and neurological disorders as well as attaching-and-effacing lesions (A/E) in the colon in STEC O157:H7 infected piglets. In contrast, STEC O104:H4 challenged animals exhibited only mild clinical symptoms including diarrhoea and dehydration and HUS-specific/severe histopathological, haematological and biochemical alterations were only inconsistently presented by individual piglets. A specific adherence phenotype of STEC O104:H4 could not be observed. Flow cytometric analyses of lymphocytes derived from infected animals revealed an increase of natural killer cells (NK cells) during the course of infection revealing a potential role of this subset in the anti-bacterial activity in STEC disease. Unexpectedly, E

  19. Enteroaggregative Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli of serotype O104:H4 in Belgium and Luxembourg

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    K. De Rauw

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available In 2011, a large outbreak of infections caused by Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC O104:H4 occurred in Germany. This exceptionally virulent strain combined virulence factors of enteroaggregative E. coli (EAggEC and STEC. After the outbreak only a few sporadic cases of infection with this rare serotype were reported, most of which were related to travel to the Middle East or North Africa. Here we describe two cases of enteroaggregative STEC (Agg-STEC O104:H4 infection that occurred in Belgium in 2012 and 2013 respectively. In both cases travel in a Mediterranean country preceded the infection. The first strain was isolated from the stool of a 42-year-old woman presenting bloody diarrhoea, who had travelled to Tunisia the week before. The second case involves a 14-year-old girl who, upon her return from Turkey to Belgium, suffered from an episode of bloody diarrhoea and haemolytic uraemic syndrome. Extended typing of the isolates with pulsed field gel electrophoresis revealed that the strains were closely related, though not exactly the same as the 2011 outbreak strain. This report supports the previously made hypothesis that Agg-STEC has a human reservoir and might be imported by travellers coming from an area where the pathogen is endemic. Furthermore, it emphasizes the concern that these bacteria may cause future outbreaks as evenly virulent O104:H4 isolates seem to be widespread.

  20. Effect of high pressure impact on the survival of Shiga Toxin-producing Escherichia coli ('Big Six' and 0157) in ground beef

    Science.gov (United States)

    High pressure processing (HPP) is a safe and effective technology for improving food safety while maintaining food quality attributes. Non-O157:H7 Shiga Toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) have been increasingly implicated in foodborne illness outbreaks and recalls, and the USDA Food Safety Ins...

  1. Prevalence and behavior of multidrug-resistant shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, enteropathogenic E. coli and enterotoxigenic E. coli on coriander.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gómez-Aldapa, Carlos A; Segovia-Cruz, Jesús A; Cerna-Cortes, Jorge F; Rangel-Vargas, Esmeralda; Salas-Rangel, Laura P; Gutiérrez-Alcántara, Eduardo J; Castro-Rosas, Javier

    2016-10-01

    The prevalence and behavior of multidrug-resistant diarrheagenic Escherichia coli pathotypes on coriander was determined. One hundred coriander samples were collected from markets. Generic E. coli were determined using the most probable number procedure. Diarrheagenic E. coli pathotypes (DEPs) were identified using two multiplex polymerase chain reaction procedures. Susceptibility to sixteen antibiotics was tested for the isolated DEPs strains by standard test. The behavior of multidrug-resistant DEPs isolated from coriander was determined on coriander leaves and chopped coriander at 25°± 2 °C and 3°± 2 °C. Generic E. coli and DEPs were identified, respectively, in 43 and 7% of samples. Nine DEPs strains were isolated from positive coriander samples. The identified DEPs included Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC, 4%) enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC, 2%) and enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC, 1%). All isolated DEPs strains exhibited multi-resistance to antibiotics. On inoculated coriander leaves stored at 25°± 2 °C or 3°± 2 °C, no growth was observed for multidrug-resistant DEPs strains. However, multidrug-resistant DEPs strains grew in chopped coriander: after 24 h at 25° ± 2 °C, DEPs strains had grown to approximately 3 log CFU/g. However, at 3°± 2 °C the bacterial growth was inhibited. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the presence and behavior of multidrug-resistant STEC, ETEC and EPEC on coriander and chopped coriander. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli in Plateau Pika (Ochotona curzoniae) on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China.

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    Bai, Xiangning; Zhang, Wang; Tang, Xinyuan; Xin, Youquan; Xu, Yanmei; Sun, Hui; Luo, Xuelian; Pu, Ji; Xu, Jianguo; Xiong, Yanwen; Lu, Shan

    2016-01-01

    Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are an emerging group of zoonotic pathogens. Ruminants are the natural reservoir of STEC. In this study we determined the prevalence and characteristics of the STEC in plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China. A total of 1116 pika samples, including 294 intestinal contents samples, 317 fecal samples, and 505 intestinal contents samples, were collected from May to August in the years 2012, 2013, and 2015, respectively. Twenty-one samples (1.88%) yielded at least one STEC isolate; in total, 22 STEC isolates were recovered. Thirteen different O serogroups and 14 serotypes were identified. One stx 1 subtype (stx 1a) and three stx 2 subtypes (stx 2a, stx 2b, and stx 2d) were present in the STEC isolates. Fifteen, fourteen, and three STEC isolates harbored the virulence genes ehxA, subA, and astA, respectively. Adherence-associated genes iha and saa were, respectively, present in 72.73 and 68.18% of the STEC isolates. Twenty antibiotics were active against all the STEC isolates; all strains were resistant to penicillin G, and some to cephalothin or streptomycin. The 22 STEC isolates were divided into 16 pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns and 12 sequence types. Plateau pikas may play a role in the ongoing circulation of STEC in the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau. This study provides the first report on STEC in plateau pikas and new information about STEC reservoirs in wildlife. Based on the serotypes, virulence gene profiles and multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) analysis, the majority of these pika STECs may pose a low public health risk.

  3. Epidemiology of Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli in Australia, 2000-2010

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    Vally Hassan

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC are an important cause of gastroenteritis in Australia and worldwide and can also result in serious sequelae such as haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS. In this paper we describe the epidemiology of STEC in Australia using the latest available data. Methods National and state notifications data, as well as data on serotypes, hospitalizations, mortality and outbreaks were examined. Results For the 11 year period 2000 to 2010, the overall annual Australian rate of all notified STEC illness was 0.4 cases per 100,000 per year. In total, there were 822 STEC infections notified in Australia over this period, with a low of 1 notification in the Australian Capital Territory (corresponding to a rate of 0.03 cases per 100,000/year and a high of 413 notifications in South Australia (corresponding to a rate of 2.4 cases per 100,000/year, the state with the most comprehensive surveillance for STEC infection in the country. Nationally, 71.2% (504/708 of STEC infections underwent serotype testing between 2001 and 2009, and of these, 58.0% (225/388 were found to be O157 strains, with O111 (13.7% and O26 (11.1% strains also commonly associated with STEC infections. The notification rate for STEC O157 infections Australia wide between 2001-2009 was 0.12 cases per 100,000 per year. Over the same 9 year period there were 11 outbreaks caused by STEC, with these outbreaks generally being small in size and caused by a variety of serogroups. The overall annual rate of notified HUS in Australia between 2000 and 2010 was 0.07 cases per 100,000 per year. Both STEC infections and HUS cases showed a similar seasonal distribution, with a larger proportion of reported cases occurring in the summer months of December to February. Conclusions STEC infections in Australia have remained fairly steady over the past 11 years. Overall, the incidence and burden of disease due to STEC and HUS in Australia appears

  4. Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli isolated from chicken meat in Iran: serogroups, virulence factors, and antimicrobial resistance properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Momtaz, Hassan; Jamshidi, Alireza

    2013-05-01

    The aim of the current study was to determine the virulence factors, serogroups, and antibiotic resistance properties of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli isolated from chicken meat samples. A total of 422 chicken meat samples were collected from 5 townships of Iran. Specimens were immediately transferred to the laboratory in a cooler with an ice pack. Samples were cultured, and the positive culture samples were analyzed by PCR assays. Finally, the antimicrobial susceptibility test was performed using the disk diffusion method in Mueller-Hinton agar. According to the results, out of 422 samples, 146 (34.59%) were confirmed to be E. coli positive and among E. coli-positive samples, 51 (34.93%) and 31 (21.23%) were from attaching and effacing E. coli (AEEC) and enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) subgroups, respectively. All of the EHEC-positive samples had all stx1, eaeA, and ehly virulence genes, whereas only 5 (9.80%) of AEEC subgroup had all stx1, stx2, and eaeA genes. As the data revealed, O157 was the most prevalent and O111 was the least prevalent strains in the Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) population. Among STEC strains, sulI and blaSHV had the highest and lowest incidence rate, respectively. There was a high resistance to tetracycline (76.82%), followed by chloramphenicol (73.17%) and nitrofurantoin (63.41%), but there was low resistance to cephalotine (7.31%) antibiotics in isolated strains. Results shows that the PCR technique has a high performance for detection of serogroups, virulence genes, and antibiotic resistance genes in STEC strains. This study is the first prevalence report of detection of virulence genes, serogroups, and antibiotic resistance properties of STEC strains isolated from chicken meat samples in Iran. Based on the results, chicken meat is one of the main sources of STEC strains and its virulence factors in Iran, so an accurate meat inspection would reduce disease outbreaks.

  5. Prolonged fecal shedding of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli among children attending day-care centers in Argentina Excreción prolongada de Escherichia coli productor de toxina Shiga en niños que concurren a jardines maternales de Argentina

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    E. Miliwebsky

    2007-06-01

    Full Text Available In this report we describe the detection and duration of fecal shedding of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC O157 and non-O157 in symptomatic and asymptomatic cases during four events occurred among children in day-care centers in Argentina. In each event, the cases were identified among children, family contacts and staff members of the Institution. The isolates were characterized by pheno-genotyping and subtyping methods. The STEC fecal shedding was prolonged and intermittent. Strains O157:H7 (1st event; O26:H11 (2nd event; O26:H11 (3rd event and O145:NM (4th event were shed during 23-30, 37, 31 and 19 days, respectively. Considering the possibility of STEC intermittent long-term shedding, symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals should be excluded from the Institution until two consecutive stool cultures obtained at least 48 h apart, test negative.En el presente trabajo se describe la detección y el tiempo de excreción de Escherichia coli productor de toxina Shiga (STEC O157 y no-O157 en casos sintomáticos y asintomáticos durante cuatro eventos ocurridos en jardines maternales de Argentina. En cada evento se identificaron los casos entre los niños, sus familiares y el personal del jardín. Los aislamientos fueron caracterizados por técnicas feno-genotípicas y de subtipificación. La excreción de STEC fue, en general, prolongada e intermitente. Cepas STEC O157:H7 (1er evento; O26:H11 (2do evento; O26:H11 (3er evento y O145:NM (4to evento fueron excretadas durante 23-30, 37, 31 y 19 días, respectivamente. Dadas las características de la excreción, no debe permitirse el reingreso a la institución de todo niño o adulto con infección por STEC, sintomático o asintomático, hasta no tener dos coprocultivos negativos sucesivos, con intervalos de 48 horas entre ellos.

  6. Canonical Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs for High-Resolution Subtyping of Shiga-Toxin Producing Escherichia coli (STEC O157:H7.

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    Sean M Griffing

    Full Text Available The objective of this study was to develop a canonical, parsimoniously-informative SNP panel for subtyping Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC O157:H7 that would be consistent with epidemiological, PFGE, and MLVA clustering of human specimens. Our group had previously identified 906 putative discriminatory SNPs, which were pared down to 391 SNPs based on their prevalence in a test set. The 391 SNPs were screened using a high-throughput form of TaqMan PCR against a set of clinical isolates that represent the most diverse collection of O157:H7 isolates from outbreaks and sporadic cases examined to date. Another 30 SNPs identified by others were also screened using the same method. Two additional targets were tested using standard TaqMan PCR endpoint analysis. These 423 SNPs were reduced to a 32 SNP panel with the almost the same discriminatory value. While the panel partitioned our diverse set of isolates in a manner that was consistent with epidemiological data and PFGE and MLVA phylogenies, it resulted in fewer subtypes than either existing method and insufficient epidemiological resolution in 10 of 47 clusters. Therefore, another round of SNP discovery was undertaken using comparative genomic resequencing of pooled DNA from the 10 clusters with insufficient resolution. This process identified 4,040 potential SNPs and suggested one of the ten clusters was incorrectly grouped. After its removal, there were 2,878 SNPs, of which only 63 were previously identified and 438 occurred across multiple clusters. Among highly clonal bacteria like STEC O157:H7, linkage disequilibrium greatly limits the number of parsimoniously informative SNPs. Therefore, it is perhaps unsurprising that our panel accounted for the potential discriminatory value of numerous other SNPs reported in the literature. We concluded published O157:H7 SNPs are insufficient for effective epidemiological subtyping. However, the 438 multi-cluster SNPs we identified may provide

  7. Real-time PCR and enzyme-linked fluorescent assay methods for detecting Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli in mincemeat samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stefan, A; Scaramagli, S; Bergami, R; Mazzini, C; Barbanera, M; Perelle, S; Fach, P

    2007-03-01

    This work aimed to compare real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with the commercially available enzyme-linked fluorescent assay (ELFA) VIDAS ECOLI O157 for detecting Escherichia coli O157 in mincemeat. In addition, a PCR-based survey on Shiga-toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) in mincemeat collected in Italy is presented. Real-time PCR assays targeting the stx genes and a specific STEC O157 sequence (SILO157, a small inserted locus of STEC O157) were tested for their sensitivity on spiked mincemeat samples. After overnight enrichment, the presence of STEC cells could be clearly determined in the 25 g samples containing 10 bacterial cells, while the addition of five bacteria provided equivocal PCR results with Ct values very close to or above the threshold of 40. The PCR tests proved to be more sensitive than the ELFA-VIDAS ECOLI O157, whose detection level started from 50 bacterial cells/25 g of mincemeat. The occurrence of STEC in 106 mincemeat (bovine, veal) samples collected from September to November 2004 at five different points of sale in Italy (one point of sale in Arezzo, Tuscany, central Italy, two in Mantova, Lombardy, Northern Italy, and two in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, upper-central Italy) was less than 1%. Contamination by the main STEC O-serogroups representing a major public health concern, including O26, O91, O111, O145, and O157, was not detected. This survey indicates that STEC present in these samples are probably not associated with pathogenesis in humans.

  8. Survival and interaction of Escherichia coli O104:H4 on Arabidopsis thaliana and lettuce (Lactuca sativa) in comparison to E. coli O157:H7: Influence of plant defense response and bacterial capsular polysaccharide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jang, Hyein; Matthews, Karl R

    2018-06-01

    Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) has been associated with illnesses and outbreaks linked to fresh vegetables, prompting a growing public health concern. Most studies regarding interactions of STEC on fresh produce focused on E. coli O157:H7. Limited information is available about survival or fitness of E. coli O104:H4, non-O157 pathogen that was linked to one of the largest outbreaks of hemolytic uremic syndrome in 2011. In this study, survival of E. coli O104:H4 was evaluated on Arabidopsis thaliana plant and lettuce for 5 days compared with E. coli O157:H7, and expression of pathogenesis-realted gene (PR1; induction of plant defense response) was examined by reverse transcription quantitative PCR, and potential influence of capsular polysaccharide (CPS) on the bacterial fitness on plant was investigated. Populations of E. coli O104:H4 strains (RG1, C3493, and LpfA) on Arabidopsis and lettuce were significantly (P E. coli O157:H7 strains (7386 and sakai) at day 5 post-inoculation, indicating E. coli O104:H4 may have better survival ability on the plants. In addition, the E. coli O104:H4 strains produced significantly (P E. coli O157:H7 strains. RG1 strain (1.5-fold) initiated significantly (P E. coli O157:H7 strains 7386 (2.9-fold) and sakai (2.7-fold). Collectively, the results in this study suggests that different level of CPS production and plant defense response initiated by each STEC strain might influence the bacterial survival or persistence on plants. The present study provides better understanding of survival behavior of STEC, particularly E. coli O104:H4, using a model plant and vegetable under pre-harvest conditions with plant defense response. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Detection of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using chicken egg yolk IgY antibodies

    OpenAIRE

    Parma, Y. R.; Chacana, P. A.; Lucchesi, P. M. A.; Rogé, A.; Granobles Velandia, C. V.; Krüger, A.; Parma, A. E.; Fernández-Miyakawa, M. E.

    2012-01-01

    Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC), a subset of Shiga toxin producing E. coli (STEC) is associated with a spectrum of diseases that includes diarrhea, hemorrhagic colitis and a life-threatening hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS). Regardless of serotype, Shiga toxins (Stx1 and/or Stx2) are uniformly expressed by all EHEC, and so exploitable targets for laboratory diagnosis of these pathogens. In this study, a sandwich ELISA for determination of Shiga toxin (Stx) was developed using anti-St...

  10. Detection of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using chicken egg yolk IgY antibodies

    OpenAIRE

    Yanil R Parma; Pablo A Chacana; Paula María Alejandra Lucchesi; Ariel eRoge; Claudia V Granobles Velandia; Alejandra eKrüger; Alejandra eKrüger; Alberto E. Parma; Mariano Enrique Fernandez Miyakawa

    2012-01-01

    Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC), a subset of Shiga toxin producing E. coli (STEC) is associated with a spectrum of diseases that includes diarrhea, hemorrhagic colitis and a life-threatening hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Regardless of serotype, Shiga toxins (Stx1 and/or Stx2) are uniformly expressed by all EHEC, and so exploitable targets for laboratory diagnosis of these pathogens. In this study, a sandwich ELISA for determination of Shiga toxin (Stx) was developed using anti-St...

  11. Pectic oligosaccharide structure-function relationships: prebiotics, inhibitors of Escherichia coli O157:H7 adhesion and reduction of Shiga toxin cytotoxicity in HT29 cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing, food-contaminating Escherichia coli (STEC) is a major health concern. Plant-derived pectin and pectic-oligosaccharides (POS) that are abundant in biomass have been considered as prebiotics and for the protection of humans from Stx intoxication. Five structurally differ...

  12. Caracterización genotipica de aislamientos de Escherichia coli obtenidos de cerdos con diarrea posdestete y enfermedad de los edemas Genotypic characterization of toxigenic Escherichia coli isolated from pigs with postweaning diarrhea (PWD and edema disease (ED

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fabiana A Moredo

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available El objetivo del trabajo fue caracterizar mediante PCR 47 aislamientos de Escheríchia coli recuperados de 32 cerdos con diagnóstico clínico de diarrea posdestete (DPD y de 3 cerdos con enfermedad de los edemas (ED. Sobre 44 aislamientos provenientes de cerdos con DPD, 42 (95,5 % fueron caracterizados como E. coli enterotoxigénicos (ETEC y 2 (4,5 % como E. coli productores de toxina Shiga (STEC. Catorce aislamientos de ETEC (33,3 % fueron positivos para los genes estl/estlI/fedA. El genotipo más complejo fue eltA/estll/east1/faeG/aidA. Los aislamientos provenientes de cerdos con ED se clasificaron como STEC porcinos y fueron portadores de stxJaidA. Once aislamientos (25 % fueron portadores del gen que codifica la expresión de la adhesina AIDA-I. Sin embargo, en ningún aislamiento se detectaron los genes que codifican la expresión de las adhesinas F5, F6, F41, de intimina y de "Paa". La prevención de la DPD y de la ED podría realizarse mediante el desarrollo de vacunas que generen anticuerpos contra las adhesinas de las cepas de E. coli prevalentes en la Argentina.The purpose of this work was to characterize 47 Escherichia coli strains isolated from 32 pigs diagnosed with postweaning diarrhea and tree pigs with edema disease by PCR. Forty two (95.5 % of the strains isolated from diarrheic pigs were characterized as enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC and 2 (4.5 % as Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC. Fourteen (33.3 % ETEC strains were positive for est/estll/fedA genes. The most complex genotype was eltA/estl/faeG/aidA. Strains isolated from pigs with ED were classified as porcine STEC and were stxjaidA carriers. Eleven (25 % strains carried the gene encoding adhesln protein AIDA-I. However, genes coding for F5, F6, F41, intimin and Paa were not detected. The development of vaccines generating antibodies against prevalent E. coli adhesins in Argentina could be useful for the prevention of PWD and ED.

  13. Isolation and characteristics of Shiga toxin 2f-producing Escherichia coli among pigeons in Kyushu, Japan.

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    Koichi Murakami

    Full Text Available An increasing number of Shiga toxin 2f-producing Escherichia coli (STEC2f infections in humans are being reported in Europe, and pigeons have been suggested as a reservoir for the pathogen. In Japan, there is very little information regarding carriage of STEC2f by pigeons, prompting the need for further investigation. We collected 549 samples of pigeon droppings from 14 locations in Kyushu, Japan, to isolate STEC2f and to investigate characteristics of the isolates. Shiga toxin stx 2f gene fragments were detected by PCR in 16 (2.9% of the 549 dropping samples across four of the 14 locations. We obtained 23 STEC2f-isolates from seven of the original samples and from three pigeon dropping samples collected in an additional sampling experiment (from a total of seven locations across both sampling periods. Genotypic and phenotypic characteristics were then examined for selected isolates from each of 10 samples with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis profiles. Eight of the stx 2f gene fragments sequenced in this study were homologous to others that were identified in Europe. Some isolates also contained virulence-related genes, including lpfA O26, irp 2, and fyuA, and all of the 10 selected isolates maintained the eae, astA, and cdt genes. Moreover, five of the 10 selected isolates contained sfpA, a gene that is restricted to Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O165:H2 and sorbitol-fermenting Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157:NM. We document serotypes O152:HNM, O128:HNM, and O145:H34 as STEC2f, which agrees with previous studies on pigeons and humans. Interestingly, O119:H21 was newly described as STEC2f. O145:H34, with sequence type 722, was described in a German study in humans and was also isolated in the current study. These results revealed that Japanese zoonotic STEC2f strains harboring several virulence-related factors may be of the same clonal complexes as some European strains. These findings provide useful information for public health

  14. Efficacy of a Blend of Sulfuric Acid and Sodium Sulfate against Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli, Salmonella, and Nonpathogenic Escherichia coli Biotype I on Inoculated Prerigor Beef Surface Tissue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scott-Bullard, Britteny R; Geornaras, Ifigenia; Delmore, Robert J; Woerner, Dale R; Reagan, James O; Morgan, J Bred; Belk, Keith E

    2017-12-01

    A study was conducted to investigate the efficacy of a sulfuric acid-sodium sulfate blend (SSS) against Escherichia coli O157:H7, non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), Salmonella, and nonpathogenic E. coli biotype I on prerigor beef surface tissue. The suitability of using the nonpathogenic E. coli as a surrogate for in-plant validation studies was also determined by comparing the data obtained for the nonpathogenic inoculum with those for the pathogenic inocula. Prerigor beef tissue samples (10 by 10 cm) were inoculated (ca. 6 log CFU/cm 2 ) on the adipose side in a laboratory-scale spray cabinet with multistrain mixtures of E. coli O157:H7 (5 strains), non-O157 STEC (12 strains), Salmonella (6 strains), or E. coli biotype I (5 strains). Treatment parameters evaluated were two SSS pH values (1.5 and 1.0) and two spray application pressures (13 and 22 lb/in 2 ). Untreated inoculated beef tissue samples served as controls for initial bacterial populations. Overall, the SSS treatments lowered inoculated (6.1 to 6.4 log CFU/cm 2 ) bacterial populations by 0.6 to 1.5 log CFU/cm 2 (P SSS was applied to samples inoculated with any of the tested E. coli inocula; however, solution pH did have a significant effect (P SSS was applied to samples inoculated with Salmonella. Results indicated that the response of the nonpathogenic E. coli inoculum to the SSS treatments was similar (P ≥ 0.05) to that of the pathogenic inocula tested, making the E. coli biotype I strains viable surrogate organisms for in-plant validation of SSS efficacy on beef. The application of SSS at the tested parameters to prerigor beef surface tissue may be an effective intervention for controlling pathogens in a commercial beef harvest process.

  15. Growth and Survival of Acid-Resistant and Non-Acid-Resistant Shiga-Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Strains during the Manufacture and Ripening of Camembert Cheese.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montet, M P; Jamet, E; Ganet, S; Dizin, M; Miszczycha, S; Dunière, L; Thevenot, D; Vernozy-Rozand, C

    2009-01-01

    Growth and survival of acid-resistant (AR) and non-acid-resistant (NAR) Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains were investigated during the manufacture and ripening of microfiltered milk Camembert cheeses. The induction of acid resistance of the STEC strains in cheeses was also studied. Six different mixtures of AR and/or NAR STEC strains were inoculated separately into microfiltered milk at a level of 10(3) CFU mL(-1). The STEC counts (AR and NAR) initially increased by 1 to 2 log(10) CFU g(-1) during cheese-making. Thereafter, the populations stabilized during salting/drying and then decreased during the early stages of ripening. Exposing the STEC strains in artificially inoculated cheeses to simulated gastric fluid (SGF - pH: 2.0) reduced the number of NAR strains to undetectable levels within 40 minutes, versus 120 minutes for the AR STEC strains. AR and NAR STEC were able to survive during the manufacture and ripening of Camembert cheese prepared from microfiltered milk with no evidence of induced acid tolerance in NAR STEC strains.

  16. Growth and Survival of Acid-Resistant and Non-Acid-Resistant Shiga-Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Strains during the Manufacture and Ripening of Camembert Cheese

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. P. Montet

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Growth and survival of acid-resistant (AR and non-acid-resistant (NAR Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC strains were investigated during the manufacture and ripening of microfiltered milk Camembert cheeses. The induction of acid resistance of the STEC strains in cheeses was also studied. Six different mixtures of AR and/or NAR STEC strains were inoculated separately into microfiltered milk at a level of 103 CFU mL−1. The STEC counts (AR and NAR initially increased by 1 to 2 log⁡10 CFU g−1 during cheese-making. Thereafter, the populations stabilized during salting/drying and then decreased during the early stages of ripening. Exposing the STEC strains in artificially inoculated cheeses to simulated gastric fluid (SGF - pH: 2.0 reduced the number of NAR strains to undetectable levels within 40 minutes, versus 120 minutes for the AR STEC strains. AR and NAR STEC were able to survive during the manufacture and ripening of Camembert cheese prepared from microfiltered milk with no evidence of induced acid tolerance in NAR STEC strains.

  17. Improved traceability of Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli using CRISPRs for detection and typing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delannoy, Sabine; Beutin, Lothar; Fach, Patrick

    2016-05-01

    Among strains of Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), seven serogroups (O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, O145, and O157) are frequently associated with severe clinical illness in humans. The development of methods for their reliable detection from complex samples such as food has been challenging thus far, and is currently based on the PCR detection of the major virulence genes stx1, stx2, and eae, and O-serogroup-specific genes. However, this approach lacks resolution. Moreover, new STEC serotypes are continuously emerging worldwide. For example, in May 2011, strains belonging to the hitherto rarely detected STEC serotype O104:H4 were identified as causative agents of one of the world's largest outbreak of disease with a high incidence of hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome in the infected patients. Discriminant typing of pathogens is crucial for epidemiological surveillance and investigations of outbreaks, and especially for tracking and tracing in case of accidental and deliberate contamination of food and water samples. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPRs) are composed of short, highly conserved DNA repeats separated by unique sequences of similar length. This distinctive sequence signature of CRISPRs can be used for strain typing in several bacterial species including STEC. This review discusses how CRISPRs have recently been used for STEC identification and typing.

  18. Occurrence and characterization of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in raw meat, raw milk, and street vended juices in Bangladesh.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Islam, Mohammad A; Mondol, Abdus S; Azmi, Ishrat J; de Boer, Enne; Beumer, Rijkelt R; Zwietering, Marcel H; Heuvelink, Annet E; Talukder, Kaisar A

    2010-11-01

    The major objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in different types of food samples and to compare their genetic relatedness with STEC strains previously isolated from animal sources in Bangladesh. We investigated a total of 213 food samples, including 90 raw meat samples collected from retail butcher shops, 20 raw milk samples from domestic cattle, and 103 fresh juice samples from street vendors in Dhaka city. We found that more than 68% (n = 62) of the raw meat samples were positive for the stx gene(s); 34% (n = 21) of buffalo meats and 66% (n = 41) of beef. Approximately 10% (n = 2) of the raw milk and 8% (n = 8) of the fresh juice samples were positive for stx. We isolated STEC O157 from seven meat samples (7.8%), of which two were from buffalo meats and five from beef; and no other STEC serotypes could be isolated. We could not isolate STEC from any of the stx-positive raw milk and juice samples. The STEC O157 isolates from raw meats were positive for the stx(2), eae, katP, etpD, and enterohemorrhagic E. coli hly virulence genes, and they belonged to three different phage types: 8 (14.3%), 31 (42.8%), and 32 (42.8%). Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) typing revealed six distinct patterns among seven isolates of STEC O157, suggesting a heterogeneous clonal diversity. Of the six PFGE patterns, one was identical and the other two were ≥90% related to PFGE patterns of STEC O157 strains previously isolated from animal feces, indicating that raw meats are readily contaminated with fecal materials. This study represents the first survey of STEC in the food chain in Bangladesh.

  19. Subtype-specific suppression of Shiga toxin 2 released from Escherichia coli upon exposure to protein synthesis inhibitors

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Malene Gantzhorn; Hansen, Claus; Riise, Erik

    2008-01-01

    Shiga toxins (Stx) are important virulence factors in the pathogenesis of severe disease including hemolytic-uremic syndrome, caused by Stx-producing Escherichia coli (STEC). STEC strains increase the release of Stx in vitro following the addition of fluoroquinolones, whereas protein synthesis...... inhibitors previously have been reported to suppress the release of Stx. The amount of Stx released from wild-type STEC strains incubated with protein synthesis inhibitors was examined by a Vero cell cytotoxicity assay. The amounts released were compared to the Stx type (Stx1 or Stx2) and additionally...... to the individual subtypes and toxin variants of Stx2. In general, Stx2 release was suppressed significantly upon exposure to protein synthesis inhibitors at MICs, which was not observed in the case of Stx1. Also, the average amount of different Stx2 toxin variants released was suppressed to various levels ranging...

  20. Effect of severe weather events on the shedding of Shiga toxigenic Escherichia coli in slaughter cattle and phenotype of serogroup O157 isolates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stanford, Kim; Reuter, Tim; Bach, Susan J; Chui, Linda; Ma, Angela; Conrad, Cheyenne C; Tostes, Renata; McAllister, Tim A

    2017-09-01

    High-event periods (HEPs) occur sporadically when beef carcasses and meat have episodes of acute contamination with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC). In this study, severe weather events were investigated as catalysts for HEPs based on PCR and isolate prevalence of seven E. coli serogroups in slaughter cattle feces. Winter ambient temperatures with daily means 10.5oC warmer or 12.3°C colder than seasonal norms (-10.4°C) most altered STEC shedding. Fecal samples yielded increased proportions (P  10 min and one also had strong biofilm-forming potential. However, this isolate lacked eae and stx genes. Severe weather can influence STEC shedding, particularly of O157, and could possibly trigger HEPs. However, our data suggest that it is unlikely for isolates to carry virulence genes and possess phenotypes capable of evading post-harvest microbiological interventions. © FEMS 2017. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  1. Detección y caracterización de Escherichia coli productor de toxina Shiga a partir de casos clínicos y de alimentos en Uruguay Detection and characterization of Shiga toxin - producing Escherichia coli from clinical cases and food in Uruguay

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G. Varela

    2008-06-01

    Full Text Available Establecimos la frecuencia de aislamiento de Escherichia coli productor de toxina Shiga (STEC a partir de muestras clínicas y de alimentos, así como las características fenotípicas y genotípicas de las cepas recuperadas. Se analizaron 198 muestras fecales de niños con diarrea sanguinolenta (DS, 14 muestras fecales de niños con síndrome urémico hemolítico (SUH y 220 muestras de carne picada. También se estudiaron 4 cepas STEC aisladas de alimentos embutidos. Se recuperó STEC de 3 (1,5% de los niños con DS, de 1 (7% niño con SUH y de 4 (1,8% de las muestras de carne picada. Todas las cepas fueron eae y ehxA positivas. Los serotipos detectados fueron: O157:H7 (9 cepas, O26:H11 (2 cepas, O111:NM (1 cepa y O145:HNT (1 cepa. Todas las cepas O157:H7 portaron el subtipo eae-g1; las cepas O26:H11 y O145:HNT portaron el subtipo eae-b1 y la cepa O111:NM portó el subtipo eae-g2/q. Las cepas STEC del mismo serogrupo mostraron alta diversidad genética. En Uruguay STEC no sería agente frecuente de diarrea con sangre en niños. Sin embargo, las cepas recuperadas presentaron los genes asociados con enfermedad severa y 2 de los 3 niños infectados con STEC evolucionaron a SUH. La carne picada y otros alimentos serían vehículos importantes de O157:H7.We have assessed the frequency of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC in clinical and food samples as well as studied the genotypic and phenotypic characteristics of the recovered strains. One hundred ninety eight fecal samples from children with bloody diarrhea (BD, 14 from children with hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS, 220 ground beef samples and 4 STEC isolates from other beef-derived products were analyzed. The STEC strains were isolated from 3 (1.5% children with bloody diarrhea, 1 (7% from a child with HUS and 4 (1.8% from ground beef samples. All strains were eae and ehxA positive. The serotypes found were: O157:H7 (9 strains, O26:H11 (2, O111: NM (1 and O145:HNT (1. All O157:H7 STEC

  2. Longitudinal study of two Irish dairy herds: Low numbers of of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157 and O26 super-shedders identified

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brenda Patricia Murphy

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available A 12-month longitudinal study was undertaken on two dairy herds to ascertain the Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC O157 and O26 shedding status of the animals and its impact (if any on raw milk. Cattle are a recognised reservoir for these organisms with associated public health and environmental implications. Animals shedding E. coli O157 at >10,000 CFU/g of faeces have been deemed super-shedders. There is a gap in the knowledge regarding super-shedding of other STEC serogroups. A cohort of 40 lactating cows from herds previously identified as positive for VTEC in a national surveillance project were sampled every second month between August, 2013 and July, 2014. Metadata on any potential super-shedders was documented including e.g. age of the animal, number of lactations and days in lactation, nutritional condition, somatic cell count and content of protein in milk to assess if any were associated with risk factors for super-shedding. Recto-anal mucosal swabs, raw milk, milk filters and water samples were procured for each herd. The swabs were examined for E. coli O157 and O26 using a quantitative real time PCR method. Counts (CFU swab-1 were obtained from a standard calibration curve that related real-time PCR cycle threshold (Ct values against the initial concentration of O157 or O26 in the samples. Results from Farm A: 305 animals were analysed; 15 E. coli O157 (5% were recovered, 13 were denoted STEC encoding either stx1 and/or stx2 virulence genes and 5 (2% STEC O26 were recovered. One super-shedder was identified shedding STEC O26 (stx1&2. Farm B: 224 animals were analysed; eight E. coli O157 (3.5% were recovered (seven were STEC and 9 (4% STEC O26 were recovered. Three super-shedders were identified, one was shedding STEC O157 (stx2 and two STEC O26 (stx2. Three encoded the adhering and effacement gene (eae and one isolate additionally encoded the haemolysin gene (hlyA. The results of this study show, low numbers of super

  3. Multiplex real-time PCR assay for detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and screening for non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Baoguang; Liu, Huanli; Wang, Weimin

    2017-11-09

    Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), including E. coli O157:H7, are responsible for numerous foodborne outbreaks annually worldwide. E. coli O157:H7, as well as pathogenic non-O157:H7 STECs, can cause life-threating complications, such as bloody diarrhea (hemolytic colitis) and hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS). Previously, we developed a real-time PCR assay to detect E. coli O157:H7 in foods by targeting a unique putative fimbriae protein Z3276. To extend the detection spectrum of the assay, we report a multiplex real-time PCR assay to specifically detect E. coli O157:H7 and screen for non-O157 STEC by targeting Z3276 and Shiga toxin genes (stx1 and stx2). Also, an internal amplification control (IAC) was incorporated into the assay to monitor the amplification efficiency. The multiplex real-time PCR assay was developed using the Life Technology ABI 7500 System platform and the standard chemistry. The optimal amplification mixture of the assay contains 12.5 μl of 2 × Universal Master Mix (Life Technology), 200 nM forward and reverse primers, appropriate concentrations of four probes [(Z3276 (80 nM), stx1 (80 nM), stx2 (20 nM), and IAC (40 nM)], 2 μl of template DNA, and water (to make up to 25 μl in total volume). The amplification conditions of the assay were set as follows: activation of TaqMan at 95 °C for 10 min, then 40 cycles of denaturation at 95 °C for 10 s and annealing/extension at 60 °C for 60 s. The multiplex assay was optimized for amplification conditions. The limit of detection (LOD) for the multiplex assay was determined to be 200 fg of bacterial DNA, which is equivalent to 40 CFU per reaction which is similar to the LOD generated in single targeted PCRs. Inclusivity and exclusivity determinants were performed with 196 bacterial strains. All E. coli O157:H7 (n = 135) were detected as positive and all STEC strains (n = 33) were positive for stx1, or stx2, or stx1 and stx2 (Table 1). No cross reactivity was detected with Salmonella

  4. Biological Activities of Uric Acid in Infection Due to Enteropathogenic and Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia coli

    Science.gov (United States)

    Broome, Jacqueline E.; Lis, Agnieszka

    2016-01-01

    In previous work, we identified xanthine oxidase (XO) as an important enzyme in the interaction between the host and enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) and Shiga-toxigenic E. coli (STEC). Many of the biological effects of XO were due to the hydrogen peroxide produced by the enzyme. We wondered, however, if uric acid generated by XO also had biological effects in the gastrointestinal tract. Uric acid triggered inflammatory responses in the gut, including increased submucosal edema and release of extracellular DNA from host cells. While uric acid alone was unable to trigger a chloride secretory response in intestinal monolayers, it did potentiate the secretory response to cyclic AMP agonists. Uric acid crystals were formed in vivo in the lumen of the gut in response to EPEC and STEC infections. While trying to visualize uric acid crystals formed during EPEC and STEC infections, we noticed that uric acid crystals became enmeshed in the neutrophilic extracellular traps (NETs) produced from host cells in response to bacteria in cultured cell systems and in the intestine in vivo. Uric acid levels in the gut lumen increased in response to exogenous DNA, and these increases were enhanced by the actions of DNase I. Interestingly, addition of DNase I reduced the numbers of EPEC bacteria recovered after a 20-h infection and protected against EPEC-induced histologic damage. PMID:26787720

  5. Epiphytic survival of Shiga-toxigenic Escherichia coli O145 on baby spinach plants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Introduction: Non-O157 Shiga-toxigenic E. coli (STEC) have contaminated leafy greens. In early 2010, 26 confirmed illnesses were traced to a multi-state outbreak involving shredded romaine lettuce contaminated with E. coli O145, a STEC. It is possible that the O145 serotype may be suited for gro...

  6. Mouse in Vivo Neutralization of Escherichia coli Shiga Toxin 2 with Monoclonal Antibodies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Larry H. Stanker

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC food contaminations pose serious health concerns, and have been the subject of massive food recalls. STEC has been identified as the major cause of the life-threatening complication of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS. Besides supportive care, there currently are no therapeutics available. The use of antibiotics for combating pathogenic E. coli is not recommended because they have been shown to stimulate toxin production. Clearing Stx2 from the circulation could potentially lessen disease severity. In this study, we tested the in vivo neutralization of Stx2 in mice using monoclonal antibodies (mAbs. We measured the biologic half-life of Stx2 in mice and determined the distribution phase or t1/2 α to be 3 min and the clearance phase or t1/2 β to be 40 min. Neutralizing mAbs were capable of clearing Stx2 completely from intoxicated mouse blood within minutes. We also examined the persistence of these mAbs over time and showed that complete protection could be passively conferred to mice 4 weeks before exposure to Stx2. The advent of better diagnositic methods and the availability of a greater arsenal of therapeutic mAbs against Stx2 would greatly enhance treatment outcomes of life threatening E. coli infections.

  7. Survival and expression of acid resistance genes in Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli acid adapted in pineapple juice and exposed to synthetic gastric fluid

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aims: The aim of this research was to examine relative transcriptional expression of acid resistance (AR) genes, rpoS, gadA and adiA, in O157:H7 and non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) serotypes after adaptation to pineapple juice (PJ) and subsequently to determine survival with e...

  8. Occurrence and quantification of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli from food matrices

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. Sethulekshmi

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Aim: The objective of the study was to detect Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC and develop a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR assay to quantify the bacterial DNA present in different food matrices. Materials and Methods: A total of 758 samples were collected during a period from January 2015 to December 2016 from Kozhikode, Thrissur, and Alappuzha districts of Kerala. The samples consisted of raw milk (135, pasteurized milk (100, beef (132, buffalo meat (130, chevon (104, beef kheema (115, and beef sausage (42. All the samples collected were subjected to isolation and identification of STEC by conventional culture technique. Confirmation of virulence genes was carried out using PCR. For the quantification of STEC in different food matrices, a qPCR was standardized against stx1 gene of STEC by the construction of standard curve using SYBR green chemistry. Results: The overall occurrence of STEC in raw milk (n=135, beef (n=132, buffalo meat (n=130, chevon (n=104, and beef kheema (n=115 samples collected from Kozhikode, Thrissur, and Alappuzha districts of Kerala was 19.26%, 41.6%, 16.92%, 28.85%, and 41.74%, respectively. PCR revealed the presence of stx1 and stx2 genes in 88.46 and 83.64 and 30.77 and 40.00% of STEC isolates from raw milk and beef samples, respectively, while 100% of the STEC isolates from buffalo beef and beef kheema samples carried stx1 gene. Real-time qPCR assay was used to quantify the bacterial cells present in different food matrices. The standard curve was developed, and the slopes, intercept, and R2 of linear regression curves were -3.10, 34.24, and 0.99, respectively. Conclusion: The considerably high occurrence of STEC in the study confirms the importance of foods of animal origin as a vehicle of infection to humans. In the present study, on comparing the overall occurrence of STEC, the highest percentage of occurrence was reported in beef kheema samples. The study shows the need for rigid food

  9. Consumer preferences, internal color and reduction of shigatoxigenic Escherichia coli in cooked hamburgers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Røssvoll, Elin; Sørheim, Oddvin; Heir, Even; Møretrø, Trond; Olsen, Nina Veflen; Langsrud, Solveig

    2014-02-01

    The aim of this study was to relate consumer preferences and preparation of hamburgers to color change, internal temperature and reduction of shigatoxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC) serogroups O157 and the "Big Six" (O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, O145) under two ground beef packaging scenarios: 75% O2 MAP and vacuum. 75% O2 MAP hamburgers cooked to 60 °C core temperature appeared done and showed less internal red color (lower a*) than corresponding vacuum hamburgers. Similar STEC reduction (<4 log10) was found for both hamburgers at core temperatures ≤ 66 °C. In a representative survey (N=1046) most consumers reported to judge hamburger doneness by the color and many preferred undercooked hamburgers. Premature browning of 75% O2 MAP hamburgers represents a risk of foodborne illness, when considering consumers' food handling practices. The risk is even greater if such ground beef is prepared by consumers who prefer undercooked hamburgers and judge doneness by color. © 2013.

  10. Wild ungulates as disseminators of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in urban areas.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alan B Franklin

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: In 2008, children playing on a soccer field in Colorado were sickened with a strain of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC O157:H7, which was ultimately linked to feces from wild Rocky Mountain elk. We addressed whether wild cervids were a potential source of STEC infections in humans and whether STEC was ubiquitous throughout wild cervid populations in Colorado. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We collected 483 fecal samples from Rocky Mountain elk and mule deer in urban and non-urban areas. Samples testing positive for STEC were higher in urban (11.0% than non-urban (1.6% areas. Elk fecal samples in urban areas had a much higher probability of containing STEC, which increased in both urban and non-urban areas as maximum daily temperature increased. Of the STEC-positive samples, 25% contained stx1 strains, 34.3% contained stx2, and 13% contained both stx1 and stx2. Additionally, eaeA genes were detected in 54.1% of the positive samples. Serotypes O103, and O146 were found in elk and deer feces, which also have the potential to cause human illness. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The high incidence of stx2 strains combined with eaeA and E-hyl genes that we found in wild cervid feces is associated with severe human disease, such as hemolytic uremic syndrome. This is of concern because there is a very close physical interface between elk and humans in urban areas that we sampled. In addition, we found a strong relationship between ambient temperature and incidence of STEC in elk feces, suggesting a higher incidence of STEC in elk feces in public areas on warmer days, which in turn may increase the likelihood that people will come in contact with infected feces. These concerns also have implications to other urban areas where high densities of coexisting wild cervids and humans interact on a regular basis.

  11. Development of a dual vaccine for prevention of Brucella abortus infection and Escherichia coli O157:H7 intestinal colonization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iannino, Florencia; Herrmann, Claudia K; Roset, Mara S; Briones, Gabriel

    2015-05-05

    Zoonoses that affect human and animal health have an important economic impact. In the study now presented, a bivalent vaccine has been developed that has the potential for preventing the transmission from cattle to humans of two bacterial pathogens: Brucella abortus and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC). A 66kDa chimeric antigen, composed by EspA, Intimin, Tir, and H7 flagellin (EITH7) from STEC, was constructed and expressed in B. abortus Δpgm vaccine strain (BabΔpgm). Mice orally immunized with BabΔpgm(EITH7) elicited an immune response with the induction of anti-EITH7 antibodies (IgA) that clears an intestinal infection of E. coli O157:H7 three times faster (t=4 days) than mice immunized with BabΔpgm carrier strain (t=12 days). As expected, mice immunized with BabΔpgm(EITH7) strain also elicited a protective immune response against B. abortus infection. A Brucella-based vaccine platform is described capable of eliciting a combined protective immune response against two bacterial pathogens with diverse lifestyles-the intracellular pathogen B. abortus and the intestinal extracellular pathogen STEC. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Fate of Escherichia coli O26 in Corn Silage Experimentally Contaminated at Ensiling, at Silo Opening, or after Aerobic Exposure, and Protective Effect of Various Bacterial Inoculants▿

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dunière, Lysiane; Gleizal, Audrey; Chaucheyras-Durand, Frédérique; Chevallier, Isabelle; Thévenot-Sergentet, Delphine

    2011-01-01

    Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains are responsible for human illness. Ruminants are recognized as a major reservoir of STEC, and animal feeds, such as silages, have been pointed out as a possible vehicle for the spread of STEC. The present study aimed to monitor the fate of pathogenic E. coli O26 strains in corn material experimentally inoculated (105 CFU/g) during ensiling, just after silo opening, and after several days of aerobic exposure. The addition of 3 bacterial inoculants, Propionibacterium sp., Lactobacillus buchneri, and Leuconostoc mesenteroides (106 CFU/g), was evaluated for their abilities to control these pathogens. The results showed that E. coli O26 could not survive in corn silage 5 days postensiling, and the 3 inoculants tested did not modify the fate of pathogen survival during ensiling. In the case of direct contamination at silo opening, E. coli O26 could be totally eradicated from corn silage previously inoculated with Leuconostoc mesenteroides. The combination of proper ensiling techniques and the utilization of selected bacterial inoculants appears to represent a good strategy to guarantee nutritional qualities of cattle feed while at the same time limiting the entry of pathogenic E. coli into the epidemiological cycle to improve the microbial safety of the food chain. PMID:21984243

  13. Evidence of non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in the feces of meat goats at a U.S. slaughter plant.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacob, M E; Foster, D M; Rogers, A T; Balcomb, C C; Shi, X; Nagaraja, T G

    2013-09-01

    Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are important human pathogens, and attention to non-O157 serogroups has increased in recent years. Although cattle are normally considered the primary reservoir for STEC, recent illnesses associated with goat contact have indicated that these animals are important potential reservoirs for the organisms. The prevalence of STEC, particularly non-O157 serogroups, in U.S. goats has not been well described. Our objective was to determine the prevalence of six major non-O157 STEC serogroups in the feces of meat goats. Rectal contents from 296 goats were collected postevisceration at a slaughter plant in the southeastern United States over 9 days during a 12-week period from August through October 2012. Samples were enriched in E. coli broth, and DNA was extracted and used as template in an 11-gene multiplex PCR that detected six non-O157 serogroups (O26, O45, O103, O121, O111, and O145) and virulence genes. Samples were considered positive when at least one non-O157 STEC serotype was present with either stx₁ or stx₂. All six non-O157 serogroups were detected by PCR in our samples, and 14.5% of samples were positive for at least one serogroup. Prevalence of O26 was highest, with 6.4% of goat fecal samples positive. The prevalence of O45 was 3.4%, O103 was 4.4%, O111 was 4.1%, O121 was 1.4%, and O145 was 3.0%. Twenty-two (7.4%) of 296 fecal samples had more than one non-O157 serogroup detected in the feces. Two samples had evidence of three non-O157 STEC serogroups. Goats appear to be an important reservoir for non-O157 STEC, and further work to understand the characteristics, epidemiology, and ecology of STEC in these animals is warranted.

  14. Evaluation of the performance of the IQ-check kits and the USDA microbiology laboratory guidebook methods for detection of Shiga Toxin-Producing E. coli (STEC) and STEC and Salmonella simultaneously in ground beef

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aims: To evaluate the performance of the IQ-Check kits and the USDA Microbiology Laboratory Guidebook (MLG) methods for detection of the top 7 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) (O157:H7, O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145) in ground beef and both STEC and Salmonella in co-inoculated samples. M...

  15. From farm to table: follow-up of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli throughout the pork production chain in Argentina

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rocío eColello

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Pigs are important reservoirs of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC. The entrance of these strains into the food chain implies a risk to consumers because of the severity of hemolytic uremic syndrome. This study reports the prevalence and characterization of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC throughout the pork production chain. From 764 samples, 31 (4.05% were stx positive by PCR screening. At farms, 2.86% of samples were stx positive; at slaughter, 4.08% of carcasses were stx positive and at boning rooms, 6% of samples were stx positive. These percentages decreased in pork meat ready for sale at sales markets (4.59%. From positive samples, 50 isolates could be characterized. At farms 37.5% of the isolates carried stx1/stx2 genes, 37.5% possessed stx2e and 25%, carried only stx2. At slaughter we detected 50% of isolates positive for stx2, 33% for stx2e and 16% for stx1/stx2. At boning rooms 59% of the isolates carried stx1/stx2, 14% stx2e and 5% stx1/stx2/stx2e. At retail markets 66% of isolates were positive for stx2, 17% stx2e and 17% stx1/stx2. For the other virulence factors, ehxA and saa were not detected and eae gene was detected in 12% of the isolates. Concerning putative adhesins, agn43 was detected in 72%, ehaA in 26%, aida in 8% and iha in 6% of isolates. The strains were typed into 14 E. coli O groups (O1, O2, O8, O15, O20, O35, O69, O78, O91, O121, O138, O142, O157, O180 and ten H groups (H9, H10, H16, H21, H26, H29, H30, H32, H45, H46. This study reports the prevalence and characterization of STEC strains through the chain pork suggesting the vertical transmission. STEC contamination originates in the farms and is transferred from pigs to carcasses in the slaughter process and increase in meat pork at boning rooms and sales markets. These results highlight the need to implement an integrated STEC control system based on good management practices on the farm and critical control point systems in the food chain.

  16. High incidence of enteroaggregative Escherichia coli among food handlers in three areas of Kenya: a possible transmission route of travelers' diarrhea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oundo, Joseph O; Kariuki, Samuel M; Boga, Hamadi I; Muli, Faith W; Iijima, Yoshio

    2008-01-01

    Contaminated food and water are acknowledged vehicles for the transmission of travelers' diarrhea (TD). Importance of food handlers as reservoirs of enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC), enteropathogenic E coli (EPEC), and Shiga toxin-producing E coli (STEC) causing TD has not been clearly demonstrated. We undertook a 1-year prospective study to determine the presence and selected risk factors of carriage of EAEC, EPEC, and STEC by 1,399 food handlers working in tourist hotels in three popular tourist destinations of Kenya. Enterotoxigenic E coli (ETEC) was not sought in this study. During the period April 2003 to May 2004, EAEC harboring the aggR gene were detected from 29 (2.1%) subjects and EPEC harboring the eaeA gene and STEC harboring the stx2 gene were detected from 11 (0.8%) and 2 (0.1%) of the study subjects, respectively. Mean age of subjects with EAEC was significantly lower (24.6 y) than the rest of the study population (28.2 y) (p tourist hotels are important carriers of EAEC that could cause TD and a high proportion of the EAEC are MDR. The isolation of MDR EAEC from food handlers working in tourist hotels is of potential public health importance. There is a need for a study employing molecular methods including PFGE to examine carriage of similar pathogens in food handlers, processed foods, and travelers consuming the food who develop diarrhea.

  17. Isolation of bacteriophages against non-O157 and O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) from composting of non-fecal materials and the potential impact on produce safety

    Science.gov (United States)

    Composting is a complex process to produce fertilizers used to improve crop yields. A complete composting process usually confers bactericidal effect due to change of temperature and pH However, some produce outbreaks associated with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) contamination were linked to ...

  18. Protection against Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia coli by Non-Genetically Modified Organism Receptor Mimic Bacterial Ghosts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paton, Adrienne W; Chen, Austen Y; Wang, Hui; McAllister, Lauren J; Höggerl, Florian; Mayr, Ulrike Beate; Shewell, Lucy K; Jennings, Michael P; Morona, Renato; Lubitz, Werner; Paton, James C

    2015-09-01

    Shiga-toxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC) causes severe gastrointestinal infections in humans that may lead to life-threatening systemic sequelae, such as the hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Rapid diagnosis of STEC infection early in the course of disease opens a window of opportunity for therapeutic intervention, for example, by administration of agents that neutralize Shiga toxin (Stx) in the gut lumen. We previously developed a recombinant bacterium that expresses a mimic of the Stx receptor globotriaosyl ceramide (Gb3) on its surface through modification of the lipopolysaccharide (A. W. Paton, R. Morona, and J. C. Paton, Nat Med 6:265-270, 2000, http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/73111). This construct was highly efficacious in vivo, protecting mice from otherwise fatal STEC disease, but the fact that it is a genetically modified organism (GMO) has been a barrier to clinical development. In the present study, we have overcome this issue by development of Gb3 receptor mimic bacterial ghosts (BGs) that are not classified as GMOs. Gb3-BGs neutralized Stx1 and Stx2 in vitro with high efficiency, whereas alternative Gb3-expressing non-GMO subbacterial particles (minicells and outer membrane blebs) were ineffective. Gb3-BGs were highly efficacious in a murine model of STEC disease. All mice (10/10) treated with Gb3-BGs survived challenge with a highly virulent O113:H21 STEC strain and showed no pathological signs of renal injury. In contrast, 6/10 mice treated with control BGs succumbed to STEC challenge, and survivors exhibited significant weight loss, neutrophilia, and histopathological evidence of renal damage. Thus, Gb3-BGs offer a non-GMO approach to treatment of STEC infection in humans, particularly in an outbreak setting. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  19. Incidência dos genes eaeA E stx1 EM Escherichia coli isolada de carcaça suína abatida em frigoríficos comercais na região sul do Brasil

    OpenAIRE

    Machado, Luís Alberto Pereira

    2014-01-01

    A carne suína representa importante fonte de proteína animal para o mundo, porém vem sendo associada a surtos de toxinfecção alimentar. Uma das causas destes surtos é a contaminação por Escherichia coli (E. coli), encontrada no trato intestinal e ambiente dos suínos abatidos para produção de carnes in natura e industrializadas. No contexto de segurança alimentar, os surtos por Escherichia coli produtoras de toxina Shiga (STEC) são os melhores documentados. No mundo, diversos surtos causados p...

  20. Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in yaks (Bos grunniens from the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiangning Bai

    Full Text Available Shiga toxin (Stx-producing Escherichia coli (STEC are recognized as important human pathogens of public health concern. Many animals are the sources of STEC. In this study we determined the occurrence and characteristics of the STEC in yaks (Bos grunniens from the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau, China. A total of 728 yak fecal samples was collected from June to August, 2012 and was screened for the presence of the stx 1 and stx 2 genes by TaqMan real-time PCR after the sample was enriched in modified Tryptone Soya Broth. Of the 138 (18.96% stx 1 and/or stx 2-positive samples, 85 (61.59% were confirmed to have at least 1 STEC isolate present by culture isolation, from which 128 STEC isolates were recovered. All STEC isolates were serotyped, genotyped by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE and characterized for the presence of 16 known virulence factors. Fifteen different O serogroups and 36 different O:H serotypes were identified in the 128 STEC isolates with 21 and 4 untypable for the O and H antigens respectively. One stx 1 subtype (stx 1a and 5 stx 2 subtypes (stx 2a, stx 2b, stx 2c, stx 2d and stx 2g were present in these STEC isolates. Apart from lpfA O157/OI-141, lpfA O157/OI-154, lpfA O113, katP and toxB which were all absent, other virulence factors screened (eaeA, iha, efa1, saa, paa, cnf1, cnf2, astA, subA, exhA and espP were variably present in the 128 STEC isolates. PFGE were successful for all except 5 isolates and separated them into 67 different PFGE patterns. For the 18 serotypes with 2 or more isolates, isolates of the same serotypes had the same or closely related PFGE patterns, demonstrating clonality of these serotypes. This study was the first report on occurrence and characteristics of STEC isolated from yaks (Bos grunniens from the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau, China, and extended the genetic diversity and reservoir host range of STEC.

  1. Validación de una técnica de PCR múltiple para la detección de Escherichia coli productor de toxina Shiga Validation of a multiplex PCR for detection of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G.A. Leotta

    2005-03-01

    Full Text Available La infección por Escherichia coli productor de toxina Shiga (STEC es causa de diarrea con o sin sangre, colitis hemorrágica y síndrome urémico hemolítico (SUH en humanos. El objetivo de este trabajo fue validar una técnica de PCR múltiple para el diagnóstico de STEC basado en la detección de los genes stx1, stx2 y rfbO157. La validación de la técnica se realizó en dos laboratorios independientes, en forma paralela. Se determinó rango de trabajo, selectividad y robustez. Se evaluó el desempeño de la técnica al combinar distintas concentraciones de dos cepas con diferentes factores de virulencia. El rango de trabajo dependió de la cepa analizada, los valores máximos y mínimos fueron 6,6 x 107 y 1,0 x 104 UFC/50 µl. El límite de detección fue de 1,0 x 104 UFC/50 µl y el límite de corte de 1,0 x 105 UFC/50 µl. La robustez fue óptima al modificar diferentes variables. Se obtuvo 100% de inclusividad, exclusividad, precisión analítica, valor predictivo positivo y valor predictivo negativo. No se observó interferencia al combinar distintas concentraciones de los factores de virulencia blanco de la reacción. La técnica validada es una alternativa apropiada para la detección y confirmación de STEC O157 y no-O157 a partir de cultivos bacterianos.Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC cause non-bloody or bloody diarrhea, hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS in humans. The aim of the present study was to validate a multiplex PCR for the STEC diagnosis based on the detection of stx1, stx2 and rfbO157 genes. The multiplex PCR validation was carried out in two independent laboratories in a parallel way. Work range, selectivity and robustness were established. The PCR performance was evaluated using different concentrations of two STEC strains harboring different target genes. The work range depended on the strain analyzed, the maximum and the minimum values were 6.6 x 107 and 1.0 x 104 CFU/50 µl. The

  2. Phylogenetic diversity and similarity of active sites of Shiga toxin (stx) in Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) isolates from humans and animals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Asakura, H; Makino, S; Kobori, H; Watarai, M; Shirahata, T; Ikeda, T; Takeshi, K

    2001-08-01

    Nucleotide sequences of Shiga toxin (Stx) genes in STEC from various origins were determined and characterized by phylogenetic analysis based on Shiga toxin (Stx) with those deposited in GenBank. The phylogenetic trees placed Stx1 and Stx2 into two and five groups respectively, and indicated that Stx1 in sheep-origin STEC were placed into a different group from those in other STEC, and that Stx2 of deer-origin STEC also belonged to the unique group and appeared to be distantly related to human-origin STEC. On the other hand, Stx of STEC isolated from cattle, seagulls and flies were closely related to those of human-origin STEC. Such a diversity of Stx suggested that STEC might be widely disseminated in many animal species, and be dependent on their host species or their habitat. In addition, the active sites in both toxins were compared; the active sites in both subunits of Stx in all the animal-origin STEC were identical to those in human-origin STEC, suggesting that all the toxin of STEC from animals might be also cytotoxic, and therefore, such animal-origin STEC might have potential pathogenicity for humans.

  3. A polyclonal antibody based immunoassay detects seven subtypes of Shiga toxin 2 produced by Escherichia coli in human and environmental samples.

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    Xiaohua He

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC are frequent causes of severe human diseases ranging from diarrhea to hemolytic uremic syndrome. The existing strategy for detection of STEC relies on the unique sorbitol-negative fermentation property of the O157 strains, the most commonly identified serotype has been E. coli O157. It is becoming increasingly evident, however, that numerous non-O157 STEC serotypes also cause outbreaks and severe illnesses. It is necessary to have new methods that are capable of detecting all STEC strains. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Here we describe the development of a sandwich ELISA assay for detecting both O157 and non-O157 STECs by incorporating a novel polyclonal antibody (pAb against Stx2. The newly established immunoassay was capable of detecting Stx2a spiked in environmental samples with a limit of detection between 10 and 100 pg/mL in soil and between 100 and 500 pg/mL in feces. When applied to 36 bacterial strains isolated from human and environmental samples, this assay detected Stx2 in all strains that were confirmed to be stx2-positive by real-time PCR, demonstrating a 100% sensitivity and specificity. CONCLUSIONS: The sandwich ELISA developed in this study will enable any competent laboratory to identify and characterize Stx2-producing O157 and non-O157 strains in human and environmental samples, resulting in rapid diagnosis and patient care. The results of epitope mapping from this study will be useful for further development of a peptide-based antibody and vaccine.

  4. Real-time genomic investigation underlying the public health response to a Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O26:H11 outbreak in a nursery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moran-Gilad, J; Rokney, A; Danino, D; Ferdous, M; Alsana, F; Baum, M; Dukhan, L; Agmon, V; Anuka, E; Valinsky, L; Yishay, R; Grotto, I; Rossen, J W A; Gdalevich, M

    2017-10-01

    Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is a significant cause of gastrointestinal infection and the haemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS). STEC outbreaks are commonly associated with food but animal contact is increasingly being implicated in its transmission. We report an outbreak of STEC affecting young infants at a nursery in a rural community (three HUS cases, one definite case, one probable case, three possible cases and five carriers, based on the combination of clinical, epidemiological and laboratory data) identified using culture-based and molecular techniques. The investigation identified repeated animal contact (animal farming and petting) as a likely source of STEC introduction followed by horizontal transmission. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) was used for real-time investigation of the incident and revealed a unique strain of STEC O26:H11 carrying stx2a and intimin. Following a public health intervention, no additional cases have occurred. This is the first STEC outbreak reported from Israel. WGS proved as a useful tool for rapid laboratory characterization and typing of the outbreak strain and informed the public health response at an early stage of this unusual outbreak.

  5. Escherichia coli pathotypes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Escherichia coli strains are important commensals of the intestinal tract of humans and animals; however, pathogenic strains, including diarrhea-inducing E. coli and extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli. Intestinal E. coli pathotypes may cause a dehydrating watery diarrhea, or more severe diseases su...

  6. Towards a Molecular Definition of Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC): Detection of Genes Located on O Island 57 as Markers To Distinguish EHEC from Closely Related Enteropathogenic E. coli Strains

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delannoy, Sabine; Beutin, Lothar

    2013-01-01

    Among strains of Shiga-toxin (Stx) producing Escherichia coli (STEC), seven serogroups (O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, O145, and O157) are associated with severe clinical illness in humans. These strains are also called enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC), and the development of methods for their reliable detection from food has been challenging thus far. PCR detection of major EHEC virulence genes stx1, stx2, eae, and O-serogroup-specific genes is useful but does not identify EHEC strains specifically. Searching for the presence of additional genes issued from E. coli O157:H7 genomic islands OI-122 and OI-71 increases the specificity but does not clearly discriminate EHEC from enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) strains. Here, we identified two putative genes, called Z2098 and Z2099, from the genomic island OI-57 that were closely associated with EHEC and their stx-negative derivative strains (87% for Z2098 and 91% for Z2099). Z2098 and Z2099 were rarely found in EPEC (10% for Z2098 and 12% for Z2099), STEC (2 and 15%), and apathogenic E. coli (1% each) strains. Our findings indicate that Z2098 and Z2099 are useful genetic markers for a more targeted diagnosis of typical EHEC and new emerging EHEC strains. PMID:23325824

  7. Effects of zinc supplementation on Shiga toxin 2e-producing Escherichia coli in vitro.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uemura, Ryoko; Katsuge, Tomoko; Sasaki, Yosuke; Goto, Shinya; Sueyoshi, Masuo

    2017-10-07

    Swine edema disease is caused by Shiga toxin (Stx) 2e-producing Escherichia coli (STEC). Addition of highly concentrated zinc formulations to feed has been used to treat and prevent the disease, but the mechanism of the beneficial effect is unknown. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of highly concentrated zinc formulations on bacterial growth, hemolysin production, and an Stx2e release by STEC in vitro. STEC strain MVH269 isolated from a piglet with edema disease was cultured with zinc oxide (ZnO) or with zinc carbonate (ZnCO 3 ), each at up to 3,000 ppm. There was no effect of zinc addition on bacterial growth. Nonetheless, the cytotoxic activity of Stx2e released into the supernatant was significantly attenuated in the zinc-supplemented media compared to that in the control, with the 50% cytotoxic dose values of 163.2 ± 12.7, 211.6 ± 33.1 and 659.9 ± 84.2 after 24 hr of growth in the presence of ZnO, ZnCO 3 , or no supplemental zinc, respectively. The hemolytic zones around colonies grown on sheep blood agar supplemented with zinc were significantly smaller than those of colonies grown on control agar. Similarly, hemoglobin absorbance after exposure to the supernatants of STEC cultures incubated in sheep blood broth supplemented with zinc was significantly lower than that resulting from exposure to the control supernatant. These in vitro findings indicated that zinc formulations directly impair the factors associated with the virulence of STEC, suggesting a mechanism by which zinc supplementation prevents swine edema disease.

  8. A prebiotic, Celmanax™, decreases Escherichia coli O157:H7 colonization of bovine cells and feed-associated cytotoxicity in vitro

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    Juba Jean

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Escherichia coli O157:H7 is the most common serovar of enterohemorrhagic E. coli associated with serious human disease outbreaks. Cattle are the main reservoir with E. coli O157:H7 inducing hemorrhagic enteritis in persistent shedding beef cattle, however little is known about how this pathogen affects cattle health. Jejunal Hemorrhage Syndrome (JHS has unclear etiology but the pathology is similar to that described for E. coli O157:H7 challenged beef cattle suggestive that E. coli O157:H7 could be involved. There are no effective treatments for JHS however new approaches to managing pathogen issues in livestock using prebiotics and probiotics are gaining support. The first objective of the current study was to characterize pathogen colonization in hemorrhaged jejunum of dairy cattle during natural JHS outbreaks. The second objective was to confirm the association of mycotoxigenic fungi in feeds with the development of JHS and also to identify the presence of potential mycotoxins. The third objective was to determine the impact of a prebiotic, Celmanax™, or probiotic, Dairyman's Choice™ paste, on the cytotoxicity associated with feed extracts in vitro. The fourth objective was to determine the impact of a prebiotic or a probiotic on E. coli O157:H7 colonization of mucosal explants and a bovine colonic cell line in vitro. The final objective was to determine if prebiotic and probiotic feed additives could modify the symptoms that preceded JHS losses and the development of new JHS cases. Findings Dairy cattle developed JHS after consuming feed containing several types of mycotoxigenic fungi including Fusarium culmorum, F. poae, F. verticillioides, F. sporotrichioides, Aspergillusflavus, Penicillium roqueforti, P. crustosum, P. paneum and P. citrinum. Mixtures of Shiga toxin - producing Escherichia coli (STEC colonized the mucosa in the hemorrhaged tissues of the cattle and no other pathogen was identified. The STECs

  9. Discrimination of Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) from Non-EHEC Strains Based on Detection of Various Combinations of Type III Effector Genes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delannoy, Sabine; Beutin, Lothar

    2013-01-01

    Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) strains comprise a subgroup of Shiga-toxin (Stx)-producing E. coli (STEC) and are characterized by a few serotypes. Among these, seven priority STEC serotypes (O26:H11, O45:H2, O103:H2, O111:H8, O121:H19, O145:H28, and O157:H7) are most frequently implicated in severe clinical illness worldwide. Currently, standard methods using stx, eae, and O-serogroup-specific gene sequences for detecting the top 7 EHEC serotypes bear the disadvantage that these genes can be found in non-EHEC strains as well. Here, we explored the suitability of ureD, espV, espK, espN, Z2098, and espM1 genes and combinations thereof as candidates for a more targeted EHEC screening assay. For a very large panel of E. coli strains (n = 1,100), which comprised EHEC (n = 340), enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) (n = 392), STEC (n = 193), and apathogenic strains (n = 175), we showed that these genetic markers were more prevalent in EHEC (67.1% to 92.4%) than in EPEC (13.3% to 45.2%), STEC (0.5% to 3.6%), and apathogenic E. coli strains (0 to 2.9%). It is noteworthy that 38.5% of the EPEC strains that tested positive for at least one of these genetic markers belonged to the top 7 EHEC serotypes, suggesting that such isolates might be Stx-negative derivatives of EHEC. The associations of espK with either espV, ureD, or Z2098 were the best combinations for more specific and sensitive detection of the top 7 EHEC strains, allowing detection of 99.3% to 100% of these strains. In addition, detection of 93.7% of the EHEC strains belonging to other serotypes than the top 7 offers a possibility for identifying new emerging EHEC strains. PMID:23884997

  10. Prevalence and characteristics of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in finishing pigs: Implications on public health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cha, Wonhee; Fratamico, Pina M; Ruth, Leah E; Bowman, Andrew S; Nolting, Jacqueline M; Manning, Shannon D; Funk, Julie A

    2018-01-02

    Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are important food-borne pathogens, which can cause serious illnesses, including hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome. To study the epidemiology of STEC in finishing pigs and examine the potential risks they pose for human STEC infections, we conducted a longitudinal cohort study in three finishing sites. Six cohorts of pigs (2 cohorts/site, 20 pigs/cohort) were randomly selected, and fecal samples (n=898) were collected every two weeks through their finishing period. Eighty-two pigs (68.3%) shed STEC at least once, and the proportion of STEC-positive pigs varied across sites (50-97.5%) and cohorts (15-100%). Clinically important serotypes, O157:H7 (stx 2c , eae) and O26:H11 (stx 1a , eae), were recovered from two pigs at sites C and A, respectively. The most common serotype isolated was O59:H21 (stx 2e ), which was particularly prevalent in site B as it was recovered from all STEC positive pigs (n=39). Each cohort showed different patterns of STEC shedding, which were associated with the prevalent serotype. The median shedding duration of STEC in pigs was 28days, consistent with our prior study. However, among pigs shedding O59:H21 at least once, pigs in cohort B2 had a significantly longer shedding duration of 42days (P<0.05) compared to other cohorts. Stx2e was the most commonly observed stx variant in finishing pigs (93.9%), in accordance with the previous studies. Stx2e has been reported to be significantly associated with edema disease in pigs, however, the pathogenicity in humans warrants further investigations. Nonetheless, our findings affirm that pigs are an important reservoir for human STEC infections, and that the circulating serotypes in a cohort and site management factors may significantly affect the prevalence of STEC. Molecular characterization of STEC isolates and epidemiological studies to identify risk factors for shedding in pigs are strongly warranted to further address the

  11. Prevalence and characterization of Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli isolated from small Mexican retail markets of queso fresco.

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    Soto Beltran, Marcela; Gerba, Charles P; Porto Fett, Anna; Luchansky, John B; Chaidez, Cristobal

    2015-01-01

    Queso fresco (QF) is a handmade cheese consumed and produced in Latin America. In Mexico, QF production is associated with a microbiological risk. The aim of the study was to determine the incidence and characterization of Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in QF from retail markets of the north-western State of Sinaloa, Mexico, and to assess the effect of physicochemical parameters on Listeria presence. A total of 75 QF samples were obtained. L. monocytogenes, E. coli, and coliforms were detected in 9.3, 94, and 100%, respectively. Salmonella was not detected. STEC isolates showed virulence genes. Microbial loads were above the maximum values recommended by the Official Mexican Standards. Physicochemical parameters such as water activity (aw), moisture content, pH, and salinity played a role in Listeria prevalence in QF. Rigorous control in QF made in Culiacan, Mexico is needed to reduce the risk of foodborne pathogens.

  12. Molecular characterization and phylogeny of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) from imported beef meat in Malaysia.

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    Abuelhassan, Nawal Nouridaim; Mutalib, Sahilah Abdul; Gimba, Fufa Ido; Yusoff, Wan Mohtar

    2016-09-01

    This study aimed at determining the presence and characterization of Escherichia coli and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) from imported frozen beef meats. Seventy-four (74) frozen imported beef meat samples from two countries, India (42 samples) and Australia (32 samples), were collected and tested for E. coli. These samples were purchased from the frozen meat sections of five different supermarkets in different locations in Selangor, Malaysia, from April 2012 to October 2014. A total of 222 E. coli strains were isolated from the meat samples; 126 strains were isolated from country A (India), and 96 E. coli strains were from country of origin B (Australia), respectively. A total of 70 E. coli strains were identified and characterized. All E. coli strains were isolated into Fluorocult medium and identified using API 20E kit. All selected E. coli strains were characterized for Shiga toxin genes (stx1 and stx2). All biochemically identified E. coli in this study were further subjected to molecular detection through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and characterization using 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli. Of the 70 E. coli strains, 11 strains were positive for both Shiga toxin genes (stx1 and stx2) and 11 (11/70) strains were positive for stx1 gene, while 25 (25/70) strains were positive for stx2 gene. The analysis of 16S rRNA gene of all the E. coli isolates in this study was successfully sequenced and analyzed, and based on sequence data obtained, a phylogenetic tree of the 16S rRNA gene was performed using Clustal W programme in MEGA 6.06 software. Phylogenetic tree showed that the E. coli isolates in our study cluster with the strain of E. coli isolated in other countries, which further confirm that the isolates of E. coli in this study are similar to those obtained in other studies. As a result, all the strains obtained in this study proved to be a strain of pathogenic E. coli, which may cause a serious outbreak

  13. Mouldy feed, mycotoxins and Shiga toxin - producing Escherichia coli colonization associated with Jejunal Hemorrhage Syndrome in beef cattle

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    Masson Luke

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Both O157 and non-O157 Shiga toxin - producing Escherichia coli (STECs cause serious human disease outbreaks through the consumption of contaminated foods. Cattle are considered the main reservoir but it is unclear how STECs affect mature animals. Neonatal calves are the susceptible age class for STEC infections causing severe enteritis. In an earlier study, we determined that mycotoxins and STECs were part of the disease complex for dairy cattle with Jejunal Hemorrhage Syndrome (JHS. For STECs to play a role in the development of JHS, we hypothesized that STEC colonization should also be evident in beef cattle with JHS. Aggressive medical and surgical therapies are effective for JHS, but rely on early recognition of clinical signs for optimal outcomes suggesting that novel approaches must be developed for managing this disease. The main objective of this study was to confirm that mouldy feeds, mycotoxins and STEC colonization were associated with the development of JHS in beef cattle. Results Beef cattle developed JHS after consuming feed containing several types of mycotoxigenic fungi including Fusarium poae, F. verticillioides, F. sporotrichioides, Penicillium roqueforti and Aspergillus fumigatus. Mixtures of STECs colonized the mucosa in the hemorrhaged tissues of the cattle and no other pathogen was identified. The STECs expressed Stx1 and Stx2, but more significantly, Stxs were also present in the blood collected from the lumen of the hemorrhaged jejunum. Feed extracts containing mycotoxins were toxic to enterocytes and 0.1% of a prebiotic, Celmanax Trademark, removed the cytotoxicity in vitro. The inclusion of a prebiotic in the care program for symptomatic beef calves was associated with 69% recovery. Conclusions The current study confirmed that STECs and mycotoxins are part of the disease complex for JHS in beef cattle. Mycotoxigenic fungi are only relevant in that they produce the mycotoxins deposited in the feed. A

  14. Validation of the detection of STEC (O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, O145 and O157 in raw burgers using real-time PCR (BAX® System Q7, DuPont in “WET POOLS”

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    Paula Mussio

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC O157:H7 and no-O157:H7 have been identified as emerging foodborne pathogens responsible for an increasing number of outbreaks worldwide. Many foods have been associated to these outbreaks, mainly undercooked beef burgers. Due to the increasing production and consumption of burgers in our country, it is important to have a rapid technique to identify and isolate the most important STEC strains in foods matrixes.The objective of these investigation was to assess the sensitivity, specificity and limit detection for the screening of the most prevalent STEC in frozen raw beef burgers, using the "STEC Screening stx/eae " kit to detect the stx/eae genes and the "Panel 1 STEC E. coli O26, O111, O121" and "Panel 2 STEC E. coli O45, O103, O145" and "E. coli O157: H7 MP” (DuPont kits for the detection of the different serogroups. The use of composed samples (wet pools, the recovery of each strain from the positives samples on selective media after specified inmunoconcentration and the detection of stx/eae virulence genes in isolates by PCR were also evaluated. We validated a technique that allows the detection of the mentioned STEC strains with limits of detection between 1-5 CFU in 65 grams of raw frozen hamburgers, using wet pools. 

  15. Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in slaughtered pigs and pork products

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    Lia Bardasi

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available During the years 2015-2016, 83 faecal samples were collected at slaughter from pigs reared in farms located in Central- Northern Italy. During the years 2014-2016 a total of 562 pork products [465 not-ready-to-eat (NRTE and 97 ready-to-eat (RTE products] were collected from retail outlets, large retailers and processing plants. The samples were analysed according to ISO TS 13136:2012. Out of 83 swine faecal samples, 77 (92.8% resulted stx-positive by real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR, 5 stx2+ and 1 stx1+ Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC strains were isolated. Among the 465 NRTE samples, 65 (14.0% resulted stx-positive by real time PCR and 7 stx2+ STEC strains were isolated. The stx2 gene was detected more frequently than the stx1 gene both in faecal samples (90.4 vs 8.4% and in NRTE pork products (13.3 vs 1.3%. All the RTE samples included in the analysis resulted stxnegative. Among the samples resulted positive for stx and eae genes, serogroup-associated genes were detected at high frequency: O26 resulted the most frequent in faecal samples (81.3% and O145 in pork products (88.1%. The O157 serogroup resulted positive in 83.3 and 78.1% of pork products and faecal samples, respectively. Despite the frequent detection by real time PCR of genes indicating the possible presence of STEC strains belonging to the six serogroups, the bacteriological step did not confirm the isolation of any such strains.

  16. Characteristics of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli from meat and milk products of different origins and association with food producing animals as main contamination sources.

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    Martin, Annett; Beutin, Lothar

    2011-03-15

    Shiga toxin-producing strains of Escherichia coli (STEC) cause diarrhoea and haemorrhagic colitis in humans. Most human infections are attributed to consumption of STEC contaminated foodstuff. Food producing animals constitute important reservoirs of STEC and serve as source of food contamination. In this study, we have analyzed 593 foodborne STEC strains for their serotypes and for nine virulence genes (stx1, stx1c, stx1d, stx2, stx2b, stx2e, stx2g, E-hly and eae). The 593 STEC strains grouped into 215 serotypes, and 123 serotypes (57.2%) were represented each by only one STEC isolate. Fifteen serotypes (7.0%) were attributed to 198 (33.3%) of the 593 STEC strains. The foodborne STEC were grouped into different categories in relation to the species of the food producing animal (cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, red deer, wild-boar and hare). Univariate and multivariate statistical analyses revealed significant similarities between the animal origin of the food and the virulence markers of foodborne STEC. Significant associations (pfood producing animals. Virulence profiles and serotypes of STEC from food showed remarkable similarities to those of faecal STEC that were from the same animal species. The findings from our study clearly indicate that the food producing animals represent the most important source for the entry of STEC in the food chain. Sound hygiene measures implemented at critical stages of food production (milking, slaughtering, and evisceration) should be most effective in reducing the frequency of STEC contamination of food derived from domestic and wildlife animals. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Altruism of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli: recent hypothesis versus experimental results

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    Joanna M Los

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC may cause bloody diarrhea and hemorrhagic colitis, with subsequent systemic disease. Since genes coding for Shiga toxins (stx genes are located on lambdoid prophages, their effective production occurs only after prophage induction. Such induction and subsequent lytic development of Shiga toxin-converting bacteriophages results not only in production of toxic proteins, but also in the lysis (and thus, the death of the host cell. Therefore, one may ask the question: what is the benefit for bacteria to produce the toxin if they die due to phage production and subsequent cell lysis? Recently, a hypothesis was proposed (simultaneously but independently by two research groups that STEC may benefit from Shiga toxin production as a result of toxin-dependent killing of eukaryotic cells such as unicellular predators or human leukocytes. This hypothesis could make sense only if we assume that prophage induction (and production of the toxin occurs only in a small fraction of bacterial cells, thus, a few members of the population are sacrificed for the benefit of the rest, providing an example of ‘bacterial altruism’. However, various reports indicating that the frequency of spontaneous induction of Shiga toxin-converting prophages is higher than that of other lambdoid prophages might seem to contradict the for-mentioned model. On the other hand, analysis of recently published results, discussed here, indicated that the efficiency of prophage excision under conditions that may likely occur in the natural habitat of STEC is sufficiently low to ensure survival of a large fraction of the bacterial host. A molecular mechanism by which partial prophage induction may occur is proposed. We conclude that the published data supports the proposed model of bacterial ‘altruism’ where prophage induction occurs at a low enough frequency to render toxin production a positive selective force on the general STEC population.

  18. Conjugation in Escherichia coli

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    Boyer, Herbert

    1966-01-01

    Boyer, Herbert (Yale University, New Haven, Conn.). Conjugation in Escherichia coli. J. Bacteriol. 91:1767–1772. 1966.—The sex factor of Escherichia coli K-12 was introduced into an E. coli B/r strain by circumventing the host-controlled modification and restriction incompatibilities known to exist between these closely related strains. The sexual properties of the constructed F+ B strain and its Hfr derivatives were examined. These studies showed that the E. coli strain B/r F+ and Hfr derivatives are similar to the E. coli strain K-12 F+ and Hfr derivatives. However, the site of sex factor integration was found to be dependent on the host genome. PMID:5327905

  19. Quantification of plasmid DNA reference materials for Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli based on UV, HR-ICP-MS and digital PCR.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Wen; Xu, Li; Sui, Zhiwei; Li, Yan; Li, Lanying; Wen, Yanli; Li, Chunhua; Ren, Shuzhen; Liu, Gang

    2016-01-01

    The accuracy and metrology traceability of DNA quantification is becoming a critical theme in many fields, including diagnosis, forensic analysis, microorganism detection etc. Thus the research of DNA reference materials (RMs) and consistency of DNA quantification methods has attracted considerable research interest. In this work, we developed 3 plasmid candidate RMs, containing 3 target genes of Escherichia coli O157:H7 (E. coli O157:H7) and other Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC): stx1, stx2, and fliC (h7) respectively. Comprehensive investigation of the plasmid RMs was performed for their sequence, purity, homogeneity and stability, and then the concentration was quantified by three different methods: ultraviolet spectrophotometer (UV), high resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HR-ICP-MS) and digital PCR. As a routinely applied method for DNA analysis, UV was utilized for the quantification (OD260) and purity analysis for the plasmids. HR-ICP-MS quantified the plasmid DNA through analysing the phosphorus in DNA molecules. Digital PCR distributed the DNA samples onto a microarray chip containing thousands of reaction chambers, and quantified the DNA copy numbers by analysing the number of positive signals without any calibration curves needed. Based on the high purification of the DNA reference materials and the optimization of dPCR analysis, we successfully achieved good consistency between UV, HR-ICP-MS and dPCR, with relative deviations lower than 10 %. We then performed the co-quantification of 3 DNA RMs with three different methods together, and the uncertainties of their concentration were evaluated. Finally, the certified values and expanded uncertainties for 3 DNA RMs (pFliC, pStx1 and pStx2) were (1.60 ± 0.10) × 10(10) copies/μL, (1.53 ± 0.10) × 10(10) copies/μL and (1.70 ± 0.11) × 10(10) copies/μL respectively.Graphical abstractWe developed 3 plasmid candidate RMs, containing 3 target genes of

  20. Characterization of Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli Isolated in Organic Waste Products (Cattle Fecal Matter, Manure and, Slurry) from Cattle's Markets in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bako, Evariste; Kagambèga, Assèta; Traore, Kuan Abdoulaye; Bagre, Touwendsida Serge; Ibrahim, Hadiza Bawa; Bouda, Soutongnooma Caroline; Bonkoungou, Isidore Juste Ouindgueta; Kaboré, Saidou; Zongo, Cheikna; Traore, Alfred Sababenejo; Barro, Nicolas

    2017-09-22

    Cattle farming can promote diarrheal disease transmission through waste, effluents or cattle fecal matter. The study aims to characterize the diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (DEC) isolated from cattle feces, manure in the composting process and slurry, collected from four cattle markets in Ouagadougou. A total of 585 samples (340 cattle feces, 200 slurries and 45 manures in the composting process) were collected from the four cattle markets between May 2015 and May 2016. A multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), namely 16-plex PCR, was used to screen simultaneously the virulence genes specific for shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC), enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC) and enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC). DEC was detected in 10.76% of samples. ETEC was the most prevalent (9.91%). STEC and EAEC have been observed with the same rate (0.51%). ETEC were detected in 12.64% of cattle feces, in 6.66% of manure in the composting process and in 5% of slurry. STEC were detected in 0.58% of cattle feces and in 2.22% of manure in the composting process. EAEC was detected only in 1% of slurry and in 2.22% of manure in the composting process. ETEC strains were identified based on estIa gene and/or estIb gene and/or elt gene amplification. Of the 58 ETEC, 10.34% contained astA , 17.24% contained elt , 3.44% contained estIa and 79.31% contained estIb . The two positive EAEC strains contained only the aggR gene, and the third was positive only for the pic gene. The results show that effluent from cattle markets could contribute to the spreading of DEC in the environment in Burkina Faso.

  1. Occurrence of Escherichia coli harbouring stx genes in popiah, a Malaysian street food

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    Elexson, N.

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Irrespective of its health effects, street foods are very popular with the consumers. The main purpose of this research was to study the biosafety of Escherichia coli in popiah, a Malaysian street food sold at a roadside food stall and a restaurant in Sri Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia, using the combination of the most probable number (MPN-Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR assay-plating on Eosin Methylene Blue (EMB agar methods. Using these biomolecular methods, E. coli was detected in 12/15 (80% and 11/15 (73% of the collected samples from the roadside food stall and the restaurant respectively. The incidence of stx virulence-associated genes was detected in 1/15 (7% among the E. coli isolated from samples taken from the roadside food stall while the E. coli isolated from the restaurant was 3/15 (20%. The density of E. coli ranged from 1100 MPN/g and the density of E. coli positive with stx genes was <3 to 53 MPN /g in samples from both the roadside food stall and the restaurant. The presence of the stx-positive E. coli in popiah are significant to risk assessments of food and epidemiological studies. Therefore, from the information obtained in this study, it is obvious that the screening for STEC markers in food samples would be useful for food safety survey.

  2. Patotipos de Escherichia coli causadores de diarreia em bezerros: uma atualização

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    Fernanda M. Coura

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available A diarreia é uma das doenças mais frequentes de bezerros com até 30 dias de idade e é uma importante causa de perdas econômicas. Sua etiologia é complexa e envolve a interação de diversos fatores infecciosos, nutricionais, imunológicos, gerenciais e ambientais. Os principais sinais clínicos são a diarreia, desidratação progressiva, acidose metabólica, desequilíbrio de eletrólitos e balanço energético negativo com ou sem hipoglicemia, que se não tratados, levam à morte do animal. Escherichia coli se destaca como um importante enteropatógeno envolvido na síndrome diarreica. Cepas de E. coli patogênicas são classificadas em grupos ou patotipos, de acordo com a produção de fatores de virulência e mecanismos pelos quais causam doença. Já foram identificados cinco patotipos de E. coli associados à diarreia em bezerros: E. coli enterotoxigênica (ETEC, E. coli enteropatogênica (EPEC, E. coli enterohemorrágica (EHEC, E. coli produtora de toxina Shiga (STEC e E. coli necrotoxigênica (NTEC. Nesse artigo apresentamos as principais características e os atuais conhecimentos sobre os patotipos de E. coli causadores de diarreia em bezerros.

  3. Evaluation of a multiplex real-time PCR method for detecting shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in beef and comparison to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service Microbiology laboratory guidebook method.

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    Fratamico, Pina M; Wasilenko, Jamie L; Garman, Bradley; Demarco, Daniel R; Varkey, Stephen; Jensen, Mark; Rhoden, Kyle; Tice, George

    2014-02-01

    The "top-six" non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) serogroups (O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145) most frequently associated with outbreaks and cases of foodborne illnesses have been declared as adulterants in beef by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). Regulatory testing in beef began in June 2012. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the DuPont BAX System method for detecting these top six STEC strains and strains of E. coli O157:H7. For STEC, the BAX System real-time STEC suite was evaluated, including a screening assay for the stx and eae virulence genes and two panel assays to identify the target serogroups: panel 1 detects O26, O111, and O121, and panel 2 detects O45, O103, O145. For E. coli O157:H7, the BAX System real-time PCR assay for this specific serotype was used. Sensitivity of each assay for the PCR targets was ≥1.23 × 10(3) CFU/ml in pure culture. Each assay was 100% inclusive for the strains tested (20 to 50 per assay), and no cross-reactivity with closely related strains was observed in any of the assays. The performance of the BAX System methods was compared with that of the FSIS Microbiology Laboratory Guidebook (MLG) methods for detection of the top six STEC and E. coli O157:H7 strains in ground beef and beef trim. Generally, results of the BAX System method were similar to those of the MLG methods for detecting non-O157 STEC and E. coli O157:H7. Reducing or eliminating novobiocin in modified tryptic soy broth (mTSB) may improve the detection of STEC O111 strains; one beef trim sample inoculated with STEC O111 produced a negative result when enriched in mTSB with 8 mg/liter novobiocin but was positive when enriched in mTSB without novobiocin. The results of this study indicate the feasibility of deploying a panel of real-time PCR assay configurations for the detection and monitoring of the top six STEC and E. coli O157:H7 strains in beef. The approach could easily be adapted

  4. Genetic Relatedness Among Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Isolated Along the Animal Food Supply Chain and in Gastroenteritis Cases in Qatar Using Multilocus Sequence Typing.

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    Palanisamy, Srikanth; Chang, YuChen; Scaria, Joy; Penha Filho, Rafael Antonio Casarin; Peters, Kenlyn E; Doiphode, Sanjay H; Sultan, Ali; Mohammed, Hussni O

    2017-06-01

    Pathogenic Escherichia coli has been listed among the most important bacteria associated with foodborne illnesses around the world. We investigated the genetic relatedness among Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) isolated along the animal food supply chain and from humans diagnosed with gastroenteritis in Qatar. Samples were collected from different sources along the food supply chain and from patients admitted to the hospital with complaints of gastroenteritis. All samples were screened for the presence of E. coli O157:H7 and non-O157 STEC using a combination of bacterial enrichment and molecular detection techniques. A proportional sampling approach was used to select positive samples from each source for further multilocus sequence typing (MLST) analysis. Seven housekeeping genes described for STEC were amplified by polymerase chain reaction, sequenced, and analyzed by MLST. Isolates were characterized by allele composition, sequence type (ST) and assessed for epidemiologic relationship within and among different sources. Nei's genetic distance was calculated at the allele level between sample pools in each site downstream. E. coli O157:H7 occurred at a higher rate in slaughterhouse and retail samples than at the farm or in humans in our sampling. The ST171, an ST common to enterotoxigenic E. coli and atypical enteropathogenic E. coli, was the most common ST (15%) in the food supply chain. None of the genetic distances among the different sources was statistically significant. Enterohemorrhagic E. coli pathogenic strains are present along the supply chain at different levels and with varying relatedness. Clinical isolates were the most diverse, as expected, considering the polyclonal diversity in the human microbiota. The high occurrence of these food adulterants among the farm products suggests that implementation of sanitary measures at that level might reduce the risk of human exposure.

  5. Role of climate in the spread of shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli infection among children

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    Acquaotta, Fiorella; Ardissino, Gianluigi; Fratianni, Simona; Perrone, Michela

    2017-09-01

    Haemolytic-uraemic syndrome (HUS) is a rare disease mainly affecting children that develops as a complication of shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infection. It is characterised by acute kidney injury, platelet consumption and mechanical destruction of red blood cells (haemolysis). In order to test the working hypothesis that the spread of the infection is influenced by specific climatic conditions, we analysed all of the identified cases of infection occurring between June 2010 and December 2013 in four provinces of Lombardy, Italy (Milano, Monza Brianza, Varese and Brescia), in which a STEC surveillance system has been developed as part of a preventive programme. In the selected provinces, we recorded in few days a great number of cases and clusters which are unrelated for spatially distant or for the disease are caused by different STEC serotypes. In order to investigate a common factor that favoured the onset of infection, we have analysed in detail the weather conditions of the areas. The daily series of temperature, rain and relative humidity were studied to show the common climate peculiarities whilst the correlation coefficient and the principal component analysis (PCA) were used to point out the meteorological variable, maximum temperature, as the principal climate element in the onset of the infection. The use of distributed lag non-linear models (DLNM) and the climate indices characterising heat waves (HWs) has allowed to identify the weather conditions associated with STEC infection. The study highlighted a close temporal correlation between STEC infection in children and the number, duration and frequency of heat waves. In particular, if the maximum temperature is greater than 90th percentile, days classified as very hot, for 3 or more consecutive days, the risk of infection is increasing.

  6. Identification of human-pathogenic strains of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli from food by a combination of serotyping and molecular typing of Shiga toxin genes.

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    Beutin, Lothar; Miko, Angelika; Krause, Gladys; Pries, Karin; Haby, Sabine; Steege, Katja; Albrecht, Nadine

    2007-08-01

    We examined 219 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains from meat, milk, and cheese samples collected in Germany between 2005 and 2006. All strains were investigated for their serotypes and for genetic variants of Shiga toxins 1 and 2 (Stx1 and Stx2). stx(1) or variant genes were detected in 88 (40.2%) strains and stx(2) and variants in 177 (80.8%) strains. Typing of stx genes was performed by stx-specific PCRs and by analysis of restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) of PCR products. Major genotypes of the Stx1 (stx(1), stx(1c), and stx(1d)) and the Stx2 (stx(2), stx(2d), stx(2-O118), stx(2e), and stx(2g)) families were detected, and multiple types of stx genes coexisted frequently in STEC strains. Only 1.8% of the STEC strains from food belonged to the classical enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) types O26:H11, O103:H2, and O157:H7, and only 5.0% of the STEC strains from food were positive for the eae gene, which is a virulence trait of classical EHEC. In contrast, 95 (43.4%) of the food-borne STEC strains carried stx(2) and/or mucus-activatable stx(2d) genes, an indicator for potential high virulence of STEC for humans. Most of these strains belonged to serotypes associated with severe illness in humans, such as O22:H8, O91:H21, O113:H21, O174:H2, and O174:H21. stx(2) and stx(2d) STEC strains were found frequently in milk and beef products. Other stx types were associated more frequently with pork (stx(2e)), lamb, and wildlife meat (stx(1c)). The combination of serotyping and stx genotyping was found useful for identification and for assignment of food-borne STEC to groups with potential lower and higher levels of virulence for humans.

  7. The Gene tia, Harbored by the Subtilase-Encoding Pathogenicity Island, Is Involved in the Ability of Locus of Enterocyte Effacement-Negative Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Strains To Invade Monolayers of Epithelial Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiani, Paola; Michelacci, Valeria; Minelli, Fabio; Caprioli, Alfredo; Morabito, Stefano

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT Locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE)-negative Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains are human pathogens that lack the LEE locus, a pathogenicity island (PAI) involved in the intimate adhesion of LEE-positive strains to the host gut epithelium. The mechanism used by LEE-negative STEC strains to colonize the host intestinal mucosa is still not clear. The cell invasion determinant tia, previously described in enterotoxigenic E. coli strains, has been identified in LEE-negative STEC strains that possess the subtilase-encoding pathogenicity island (SE-PAI). We evaluated the role of the gene tia, present in these LEE-negative STEC strains, in the invasion of monolayers of cultured cells. We observed that these strains were able to invade Caco-2 and HEp-2 cell monolayers and compared their invasion ability with that of a mutant strain in which the gene tia had been inactivated. Mutation of the gene tia resulted in a strong reduction of the invasive phenotype, and complementation of the tia mutation with a functional copy of the gene restored the invasion activity. Moreover, we show that the gene tia is overexpressed in bacteria actively invading cell monolayers, demonstrating that tia is involved in the ability to invade cultured monolayers of epithelial cells shown by SE-PAI-positive E. coli, including STEC, strains. However, the expression of the tia gene in the E. coli K-12 strain JM109 was not sufficient, in its own right, to confer to this strain the ability to invade cell monolayers, suggesting that at least another factor must be involved in the invasion ability displayed by the SE-PAI-positive strains. PMID:28893912

  8. The Gene tia, Harbored by the Subtilase-Encoding Pathogenicity Island, Is Involved in the Ability of Locus of Enterocyte Effacement-Negative Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Strains To Invade Monolayers of Epithelial Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bondì, Roslen; Chiani, Paola; Michelacci, Valeria; Minelli, Fabio; Caprioli, Alfredo; Morabito, Stefano

    2017-12-01

    Locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE)-negative Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains are human pathogens that lack the LEE locus, a pathogenicity island (PAI) involved in the intimate adhesion of LEE-positive strains to the host gut epithelium. The mechanism used by LEE-negative STEC strains to colonize the host intestinal mucosa is still not clear. The cell invasion determinant tia , previously described in enterotoxigenic E. coli strains, has been identified in LEE-negative STEC strains that possess the subtilase-encoding pathogenicity island (SE-PAI). We evaluated the role of the gene tia , present in these LEE-negative STEC strains, in the invasion of monolayers of cultured cells. We observed that these strains were able to invade Caco-2 and HEp-2 cell monolayers and compared their invasion ability with that of a mutant strain in which the gene tia had been inactivated. Mutation of the gene tia resulted in a strong reduction of the invasive phenotype, and complementation of the tia mutation with a functional copy of the gene restored the invasion activity. Moreover, we show that the gene tia is overexpressed in bacteria actively invading cell monolayers, demonstrating that tia is involved in the ability to invade cultured monolayers of epithelial cells shown by SE-PAI-positive E. coli , including STEC, strains. However, the expression of the tia gene in the E. coli K-12 strain JM109 was not sufficient, in its own right, to confer to this strain the ability to invade cell monolayers, suggesting that at least another factor must be involved in the invasion ability displayed by the SE-PAI-positive strains. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

  9. Characterization of Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli Isolated in Organic Waste Products (Cattle Fecal Matter, Manure and, Slurry from Cattle’s Markets in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

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    Evariste Bako

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Cattle farming can promote diarrheal disease transmission through waste, effluents or cattle fecal matter. The study aims to characterize the diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (DEC isolated from cattle feces, manure in the composting process and slurry, collected from four cattle markets in Ouagadougou. A total of 585 samples (340 cattle feces, 200 slurries and 45 manures in the composting process were collected from the four cattle markets between May 2015 and May 2016. A multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR, namely 16-plex PCR, was used to screen simultaneously the virulence genes specific for shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC, enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC, enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC, enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC and enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC. DEC was detected in 10.76% of samples. ETEC was the most prevalent (9.91%. STEC and EAEC have been observed with the same rate (0.51%. ETEC were detected in 12.64% of cattle feces, in 6.66% of manure in the composting process and in 5% of slurry. STEC were detected in 0.58% of cattle feces and in 2.22% of manure in the composting process. EAEC was detected only in 1% of slurry and in 2.22% of manure in the composting process. ETEC strains were identified based on estIa gene and/or estIb gene and/or elt gene amplification. Of the 58 ETEC, 10.34% contained astA, 17.24% contained elt, 3.44% contained estIa and 79.31% contained estIb. The two positive EAEC strains contained only the aggR gene, and the third was positive only for the pic gene. The results show that effluent from cattle markets could contribute to the spreading of DEC in the environment in Burkina Faso.

  10. 21 CFR 866.3255 - Escherichia coli serological reagents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Escherichia coli serological reagents. 866.3255... coli serological reagents. (a) Identification. Escherichia coli serological reagents are devices that consist of antigens and antisera used in serological tests to identify Escherichia coli from cultured...

  11. Heterogeneity in Induction Level, Infection Ability, and Morphology of Shiga Toxin-Encoding Phages (Stx Phages) from Dairy and Human Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli O26:H11 Isolates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bonanno, Ludivine; Petit, Marie-Agnès; Loukiadis, Estelle; Michel, Valérie

    2016-01-01

    Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) bacteria are foodborne pathogens responsible for diarrhea and hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS). Shiga toxin, the main STEC virulence factor, is encoded by the stx gene located in the genome of a bacteriophage inserted into the bacterial chromosome. The O26:H11 serotype is considered to be the second-most-significant HUS-causing serotype worldwide after O157:H7. STEC O26:H11 bacteria and their stx-negative counterparts have been detected in dairy products. They may convert from the one form to the other by loss or acquisition of Stx phages, potentially confounding food microbiological diagnostic methods based on stx gene detection. Here we investigated the diversity and mobility of Stx phages from human and dairy STEC O26:H11 strains. Evaluation of their rate of in vitro induction, occurring either spontaneously or in the presence of mitomycin C, showed that the Stx2 phages were more inducible overall than Stx1 phages. However, no correlation was found between the Stx phage levels produced and the origin of the strains tested or the phage insertion sites. Morphological analysis by electron microscopy showed that Stx phages from STEC O26:H11 displayed various shapes that were unrelated to Stx1 or Stx2 types. Finally, the levels of sensitivity of stx-negative E. coli O26:H11 to six Stx phages differed among the 17 strains tested and our attempts to convert them into STEC were unsuccessful, indicating that their lysogenization was a rare event. PMID:26826235

  12. Microbiological and serological control of Escherichia coli O157: H7 in kindergarten staff in Buenos Aires city and suburban areas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Romina J. Fernández-Brando

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Shiga toxin (Stx-producing Escherichia coli (STEC infections are implicated in the development of the life-threatening hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS. Despite the magnitude of the social and economic problems caused by HUS, no licensed vaccine or effective therapy is currently available for human use. Prevention of STEC infections continues being the most important measure to reduce HUS incidence. This is especially true for Argentina where HUS incidence among children is extremely high and shows an endemic pattern. The aim of this work was to investigate serologically adult staff of kindergartens in Buenos Aires city and suburban areas in order to detect possible carriers, and to educate personnel about good practices to reduce HUS transmission. We also assessed the microbiological quality of water and meal samples from the same kindergartens. We tested 67 healthy adults, 13 water supplies and 6 meals belonging to 6 public kindergartens. We analysed hand swabs for isolation of STEC and serum samples for the presence of antibodies against Stx and lipopolysaccharide (LPS of O157 serogroup. We identified 46 Stx2-positive individuals, but only 7 for O157 LPS. No presence of STEC pathogens was detected in hands of staff, water or meal samples

  13. Association of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) elements with specific serotypes and virulence potential of shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toro, Magaly; Cao, Guojie; Ju, Wenting; Allard, Marc; Barrangou, Rodolphe; Zhao, Shaohua; Brown, Eric; Meng, Jianghong

    2014-02-01

    Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains (n = 194) representing 43 serotypes and E. coli K-12 were examined for clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) arrays to study genetic relatedness among STEC serotypes. A subset of the strains (n = 81) was further analyzed for subtype I-E cas and virulence genes to determine a possible association of CRISPR elements with potential virulence. Four types of CRISPR arrays were identified. CRISPR1 and CRISPR2 were present in all strains tested; 1 strain also had both CRISPR3 and CRISPR4, whereas 193 strains displayed a short, combined array, CRISPR3-4. A total of 3,353 spacers were identified, representing 528 distinct spacers. The average length of a spacer was 32 bp. Approximately one-half of the spacers (54%) were unique and found mostly in strains of less common serotypes. Overall, CRISPR spacer contents correlated well with STEC serotypes, and identical arrays were shared between strains with the same H type (O26:H11, O103:H11, and O111:H11). There was no association identified between the presence of subtype I-E cas and virulence genes, but the total number of spacers had a negative correlation with potential pathogenicity (P CRISPR-cas system and potential virulence needs to be determined on a broader scale, and the biological link will need to be established.

  14. Free-Ranging Synanthropic Birds (Ardea alba and Columba livia domestica) as Carriers of Salmonella spp. and Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli in the Vicinity of an Urban Zoo.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Oliveira, Mirela C V; Camargo, Beatriz Q; Cunha, Marcos P V; Saidenberg, Andre Becker; Teixeira, Rodrigo H F; Matajira, Carlos E C; Moreno, Luisa Z; Gomes, Vasco T M; Christ, Ana P G; Barbosa, Mikaela R F; Sato, Maria I Z; Moreno, Andrea M; Knöbl, Terezinha

    2018-01-01

    The presence of free-ranging urban birds is a risk factor for transmitting pathogens to captive animals and humans alike, including Salmonella spp. and diarrheagenic Escherichia coli. Cloacal swabs from 156 synanthropic Great egrets (Ardea alba) and feral pigeons (Columba livia domestica) that inhabit the surroundings of an urban zoo were processed for the identification of Salmonella spp. and diarrheagenic E. coli pathotypes. Bacterial species identification and genotypic characterization employed the matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry and PCR techniques, respectively, comparing their phylogenetic profiles through amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis. A total of 11 birds were positive for Salmonella Typhimurium (7%) and 9 individuals (5.8%) for diarrheagenic E. coli (enteropathogenic E. coli/Shiga-toxin producing E. coli [EPEC/STEC]) strains. S. Typhimurium strains presented highly similar AFLP profiles (85-100%), whereas EPEC/STEC strains showed more polymorphism. The results show free-ranging birds as carriers for both microorganisms in a zoo environment in Brazil for the first time and suggest these species as possible sources of infection to other animals as well as exposing personnel and visitors to potential zoonotic microorganisms. The presence of carriers highlights the importance of a surveillance system and the need for preventive measures to avoid attracting growing number of synanthropic avian species.

  15. Identification of Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli Strains from Avian Organic Fertilizers

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    Juan Puño-Sarmiento

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available The Brazilian poultry industry generates large amounts of organic waste, such as chicken litter, which is often used in agriculture. Among the bacteria present in organic fertilizer are members of the Enterobacteriaceae family. The objective of this study was to detect the presence of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (DEC strains in avian organic fertilizer, and assess the potential damage they can cause in humans due to antimicrobial resistance. The presence of DEC pathotypes and phylogenetic groups were detected by multiplex-PCR. Phenotypic assays, such as tests for adhesion, cytotoxicity activity, biofilm formation and especially antimicrobial susceptibility, were performed. Fifteen DEC strains from 64 E. coli were isolated. Among these, four strains were classified as enteropathogenic (EPEC; 6.2%, three strains as Shiga toxin-producing (STEC; 4.7%, 10 strains as enteroaggregative (EAEC; 12.5%, but two of these harbored the eaeA gene too. The low number of isolated strains was most likely due to the composting process, which reduces the number of microorganisms. These strains were able to adhere to HEp-2 and HeLa cells and produce Shiga-toxins and biofilms; in addition, some of the strains showed antimicrobial resistance, which indicates a risk of the transfer of resistance genes to human E. coli. These results showed that DEC strains isolated from avian organic fertilizers can cause human infections.

  16. Identification of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli strains from avian organic fertilizers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Puño-Sarmiento, Juan; Gazal, Luis Eduardo; Medeiros, Leonardo P; Nishio, Erick K; Kobayashi, Renata K T; Nakazato, Gerson

    2014-08-28

    The Brazilian poultry industry generates large amounts of organic waste, such as chicken litter, which is often used in agriculture. Among the bacteria present in organic fertilizer are members of the Enterobacteriaceae family. The objective of this study was to detect the presence of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (DEC) strains in avian organic fertilizer, and assess the potential damage they can cause in humans due to antimicrobial resistance. The presence of DEC pathotypes and phylogenetic groups were detected by multiplex-PCR. Phenotypic assays, such as tests for adhesion, cytotoxicity activity, biofilm formation and especially antimicrobial susceptibility, were performed. Fifteen DEC strains from 64 E. coli were isolated. Among these, four strains were classified as enteropathogenic (EPEC; 6.2%), three strains as Shiga toxin-producing (STEC; 4.7%), 10 strains as enteroaggregative (EAEC; 12.5%), but two of these harbored the eaeA gene too. The low number of isolated strains was most likely due to the composting process, which reduces the number of microorganisms. These strains were able to adhere to HEp-2 and HeLa cells and produce Shiga-toxins and biofilms; in addition, some of the strains showed antimicrobial resistance, which indicates a risk of the transfer of resistance genes to human E. coli. These results showed that DEC strains isolated from avian organic fertilizers can cause human infections.

  17. Synthesis of O-serogroup specific positive controls and real-time PCR standards for nine clinically relevant non-O157 STECs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Conrad, Cheyenne C; Gilroyed, Brandon H; McAllister, Tim A; Reuter, Tim

    2012-10-01

    Non-O157 Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are gaining recognition as human pathogens, but no standardized method exists to identify them. Sequence analysis revealed that STEC can be classified on the base of variable O antigen regions into different O serotypes. Polymerase chain reaction is a powerful technique for thorough screening and complex diagnosis for these pathogens, but requires a positive control to verify qualitative and/or quantitative DNA-fragment amplification. Due to the pathogenic nature of STEC, controls are not readily available and cell culturing of STEC reference strains requires biosafety conditions of level 2 or higher. In order to bypass this limitation, controls of stacked O-type specific DNA-fragments coding for primer recognition sites were designed to screen for nine STEC serotypes frequently associated with human infection. The synthetic controls were amplified by PCR, cloned into a plasmid vector and transferred into bacteria host cells. Plasmids amplified by bacterial expression were purified, serially diluted and tested as standards for real-time PCR using SYBR Green and TaqMan assays. Utility of synthetic DNA controls was demonstrated in conventional and real-time PCR assays and validated with DNA from natural STEC strains. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Incidence of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli strains in beef, pork, chicken, deer, boar, bison, and rabbit retail meat.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Magwedere, Kudakwashe; Dang, Huu Anh; Mills, Edward W; Cutter, Catherine N; Roberts, Elisabeth L; DeBroy, Chitrita

    2013-03-01

    The objective of the current study was to determine the incidence of contamination by the top 7 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O-groups, responsible for the majority of E. coli infections in human beings, in retail meat from different animal species. Samples from ground beef (n = 51), ground pork (n = 16), ground chicken (n = 16), and game meat (deer, wild boar, bison, and rabbit; n = 55) were collected from retail vendors for the detection of 7 STEC O-groups (O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, O145, and O157). Meat samples were tested by using a multiplex polymerase chain reaction assay targeting the wzx gene of O antigen gene clusters of the 7 STEC O-groups. The positive samples were further tested for Shiga toxin genes (stx1 and stx2). Out of a total of 83 ground beef, pork, and chicken samples, 17 (20%) carried O121, 9 (10%) carried O45, 8 (9%) carried O157, 3 (3%) carried O103, and 1 (1%) carried O145. None of the samples were positive for O26, O111, or the stx gene. All 3 white-tailed deer samples (100%) were positive for O45, O103, or both, 2 (10%) out of 20 red deer samples exhibited the presence of O103, and all 3 bison samples were contaminated with either O121, O145, or O157. One sample from ground deer, contaminated with E. coli O45, carried the stx1 gene. This preliminary investigation illustrates the importance of microbiological testing of pathogens in meat products, as well as the recognized need for increased surveillance and research on foodborne pathogens.

  19. Escherichia coli H-Genotyping PCR: a Complete and Practical Platform for Molecular H Typing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Banjo, Masaya; Iguchi, Atsushi; Seto, Kazuko; Kikuchi, Taisei; Harada, Tetsuya; Scheutz, Flemming; Iyoda, Sunao

    2018-06-01

    In Escherichia coli , more than 180 O groups and 53 H types have been recognized. The O:H serotyping of E. coli strains is an effective method for identifying strains with pathogenic potential and classifying them into clonal groups. In particular, the serotyping of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) strains provides valuable information to evaluate the routes, sources, and prevalence of agents in outbreak investigations and surveillance. Here, we present a complete and practical PCR-based H-typing system, E. coli H-genotyping PCR, consisting of 10 multiplex PCR kits with 51 single PCR primer pairs. Primers were designed based on a detailed comparative analysis of sequences from all H-antigen (flagellin)-encoding genes, fliC and its homologs. The specificity of this system was confirmed by using all H type reference strains. Additionally, 362 serotyped wild strains were also used to evaluate its practicality. All 277 H-type-identified isolates gave PCR products that corresponded to the results of serological H typing. Moreover, 76 nonmotile and nine untypeable strains could be successfully subtyped into any H type by the PCR system. The E. coli H-genotyping PCR developed here allows broader, rapid, and low-cost subtyping of H types and will assist epidemiological studies as well as surveillance of pathogenic E. coli . Copyright © 2018 American Society for Microbiology.

  20. Phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli isolated from surface waters and sediments in a Canadian urban-agricultural landscape

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stephanie eNadya

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available A hydrophobic grid membrane filtration – Shiga toxin immunoblot method was used to examine the prevalence of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC in four watersheds located in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada, a region characterized by rapid urbanization and intensive agricultural activity. STEC were recovered from 21.6, 23.2, 19.5 and 9.2 % of surface water samples collected monthly from five sites in each watershed over a period of one year. Overall prevalence was subject to seasonal variation however, ranging between 13.3 % during fall months and 34.3 % during winter months. STEC were also recovered from 23.8 % of sediment samples collected in one randomly selected site. One hundred distinct STEC isolates distributed among 29 definitive and 4 ambiguous or indeterminate serotypes were recovered from water and sediments, including isolates from Canadian priority serogroups O157 (3, O26 (4, O103 (5 and O111 (7. Forty seven isolates were further characterized by analysis of whole genome sequences to detect Shiga toxin gene (stx 1 and stx 2, intimin gene (eaeA allelic variants and acquired virulence factors. These analyses collectively showed that surface waters from the region support highly diverse STEC populations that include strains with virulence factors commonly associated with human pathotypes. The present work served to characterize the microbiological hazard implied by STEC to support future assessments of risks to public health arising from non-agricultural and agricultural uses of surface water resources in the region.

  1. Prevalence and characterization of Escherichia coli and Salmonella strains isolated from stray dog and coyote feces in a major leafy greens production region at the United States-Mexico border.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michele T Jay-Russell

    Full Text Available In 2010, Romaine lettuce grown in southern Arizona was implicated in a multi-state outbreak of Escherichia coli O145:H28 infections. This was the first known Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC outbreak traced to the southwest desert leafy green vegetable production region along the United States-Mexico border. Limited information exists on sources of STEC and other enteric zoonotic pathogens in domestic and wild animals in this region. According to local vegetable growers, unleashed or stray domestic dogs and free-roaming coyotes are a significant problem due to intrusions into their crop fields. During the 2010-2011 leafy greens growing season, we conducted a prevalence survey of STEC and Salmonella presence in stray dog and coyote feces. Fresh fecal samples from impounded dogs and coyotes from lands near produce fields were collected and cultured using extended enrichment and serogroup-specific immunomagnetic separation (IMS followed by serotyping, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. A total of 461 fecal samples were analyzed including 358 domestic dog and 103 coyote fecals. STEC was not detected, but atypical enteropathogenic E. coli (aEPEC strains comprising 14 different serotypes were isolated from 13 (3.6% dog and 5 (4.9% coyote samples. Salmonella was cultured from 33 (9.2% dog and 33 (32% coyote samples comprising 29 serovars with 58% from dogs belonging to Senftenberg or Typhimurium. PFGE analysis revealed 17 aEPEC and 27 Salmonella distinct pulsotypes. Four (22.2% of 18 aEPEC and 4 (6.1% of 66 Salmonella isolates were resistant to two or more antibiotic classes. Our findings suggest that stray dogs and coyotes in the desert southwest may not be significant sources of STEC, but are potential reservoirs of other pathogenic E. coli and Salmonella. These results underscore the importance of good agriculture practices relating to mitigation of microbial risks from animal fecal deposits in the

  2. PATHOGENIC POTENTIALS OF ESCHERICHIA COLI ISOLATED ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Electrolyte and haematological parameters in rabbits infected with pathogenic isolates of Escherichia coli from rural water supplies in Rivers State, Nigeria, where monitored. Rabbits were orally infected with suspension containing 3x107 cfu /ml of Escherichia coli to induce diarrhoea, and the electrolyte (sodium, potassium ...

  3. Day-to-Day Dynamics of Commensal Escherichia coli in Zimbabwean Cows Evidence Temporal Fluctuations within a Host-Specific Population Structure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Massot, Méril; Couffignal, Camille; Clermont, Olivier; D'Humières, Camille; Chatel, Jérémie; Plault, Nicolas; Andremont, Antoine; Caron, Alexandre; Mentré, France; Denamur, Erick

    2017-07-01

    To get insights into the temporal pattern of commensal Escherichia coli populations, we sampled the feces of four healthy cows from the same herd in the Hwange District of Zimbabwe daily over 25 days. The cows had not received antibiotic treatment during the previous 3 months. We performed viable E. coli counts and characterized the 326 isolates originating from the 98 stool samples at a clonal level, screened them for stx and eae genes, and tested them for their antibiotic susceptibilities. We observed that E. coli counts and dominant clones were different among cows, and very few clones were shared. No clone was shared by three or four cows. Clone richness and evenness were not different between cows. Within each host, the variability in the E. coli count was evidenced between days, and no clone was found to be dominant during the entire sampling period, suggesting the existence of clonal interference. Dominant clones tended to persist longer than subdominant ones and were mainly from phylogenetic groups A and B1. Five E. coli clones were found to contain both the stx 1 and stx 2 genes, representing 6.3% of the studied isolates. All cows harbored at least one Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) strain. Resistance to tetracycline, penicillins, trimethoprim, and sulfonamides was rare and observed in three clones that were shed at low levels in two cows. This study highlights the fact that the commensal E. coli population, including the STEC population, is host specific, is highly dynamic over a short time frame, and rarely carries antibiotic resistance determinants in the absence of antibiotic treatment. IMPORTANCE The literature about the dynamics of commensal Escherichia coli populations is very scarce. Over 25 days, we followed the total E. coli counts daily and characterized the sampled clones in the feces of four cows from the same herd living in the Hwange District of Zimbabwe. This study deals with the day-to-day dynamics of both quantitative and

  4. Rapid and simple method by combining FTA™ card DNA extraction with two set multiplex PCR for simultaneous detection of non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli strains and virulence genes in food samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, S A; Park, S H; Lee, S I; Ricke, S C

    2017-12-01

    The aim of this research was to optimize two multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays that could simultaneously detect six non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) as well as the three virulence genes. We also investigated the potential of combining the FTA™ card-based DNA extraction with the multiplex PCR assays. Two multiplex PCR assays were optimized using six primer pairs for each non-O157 STEC serogroup and three primer pairs for virulence genes respectively. Each STEC strain specific primer pair only amplified 155, 238, 321, 438, 587 and 750 bp product for O26, O45, O103, O111, O121 and O145 respectively. Three virulence genes were successfully multiplexed: 375 bp for eae, 655 bp for stx1 and 477 bp for stx2. When two multiplex PCR assays were validated with ground beef samples, distinctive bands were also successfully produced. Since the two multiplex PCR examined here can be conducted under the same PCR conditions, the six non-O157 STEC and their virulence genes could be concurrently detected with one run on the thermocycler. In addition, all bands clearly appeared to be amplified by FTA card DNA extraction in the multiplex PCR assay from the ground beef sample, suggesting that an FTA card could be a viable sampling approach for rapid and simple DNA extraction to reduce time and labour and therefore may have practical use for the food industry. Two multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays were optimized for discrimination of six non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and identification of their major virulence genes within a single reaction, simultaneously. This study also determined the successful ability of the FTA™ card as an alternative to commercial DNA extraction method for conducting multiplex STEC PCR assays. The FTA™ card combined with multiplex PCR holds promise for the food industry by offering a simple and rapid DNA sample method for reducing time, cost and labour for detection of STEC in

  5. Gene and antigen markers of Shiga-toxin producing E. coli from Michigan and Indiana river water: Occurrence and relation to recreational water quality criteria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duris, J.W.; Haack, S.K.; Fogarty, L.R.

    2009-01-01

    The relation of bacterial pathogen occurrence to fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) concentrations used for recreational water quality criteria (RWQC) is poorly understood. This study determined the occurrence of Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) markers and their relation to FIB concentrations in Michigan and Indiana river water. Using 67 fecal coliform (FC) bacteria cultures from 41 river sites in multiple watersheds, we evaluated the occurrence of five STEC markers: the Escherichia coli (EC) O157 antigen and gene, and the STEC virulence genes eaeA, stx1, and stx2. Simple isolations from selected FC cultures yielded viable EC O157. By both antigen and gene assays, EC O157 was detected in a greater proportion of samples exceeding rather than meeting FC RWQC (P public health decision-making. Copyright ?? 2009 by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America. All rights reserved.

  6. Characterization of novel bacteriophage phiC119 capable of lysing multidrug-resistant Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7

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    Luis Amarillas

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Background Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC is one of the most common and widely distributed foodborne pathogens that has been frequently implicated in gastrointestinal and urinary tract infections. Moreover, high rates of multiple antibiotic-resistant E. coli strains have been reported worldwide. Due to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains, bacteriophages are considered an attractive alternative to biocontrol pathogenic bacteria. Characterization is a preliminary step towards designing a phage for biocontrol. Methods In this study, we describe the characterization of a bacteriophage designated phiC119, which can infect and lyse several multidrug-resistant STEC strains and some Salmonella strains. The phage genome was screened to detect the stx-genes using PCR, morphological analysis, host range was determined, and genome sequencing were carried out, as well as an analysis of the cohesive ends and identification of the type of genetic material through enzymatic digestion of the genome. Results Analysis of the bacteriophage particles by transmission electron microscopy showed that it had an icosahedral head and a long tail, characteristic of the family Siphoviridae. The phage exhibits broad host range against multidrug-resistant and highly virulent E. coli isolates. One-step growth experiments revealed that the phiC119 phage presented a large burst size (210 PFU/cell and a latent period of 20 min. Based on genomic analysis, the phage contains a linear double-stranded DNA genome with a size of 47,319 bp. The phage encodes 75 putative proteins, but lysogeny and virulence genes were not found in the phiC119 genome. Conclusion These results suggest that phage phiC119 may be a good biological control agent. However, further studies are required to ensure its control of STEC and to confirm the safety of phage use.

  7. The evolutionary divergence of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli is reflected in clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) spacer composition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yin, Shuang; Jensen, Mark A; Bai, Jiawei; Debroy, Chitrita; Barrangou, Rodolphe; Dudley, Edward G

    2013-09-01

    The Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains, including those of O157:H7 and the "big six" serogroups (i.e., serogroups O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145), are a group of pathogens designated food adulterants in the United States. The relatively conserved nature of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPRs) in phylogenetically related E. coli strains makes them potential subtyping markers for STEC detection, and a quantitative PCR (qPCR)-based assay was previously developed for O26:H11, O45:H2, O103:H2, O111:H8, O121:H19, O145:H28, and O157:H7 isolates. To better evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of this qPCR method, the CRISPR loci of 252 O157 and big-six STEC isolates were sequenced and analyzed along with 563 CRISPR1 and 624 CRISPR2 sequences available in GenBank. General conservation of spacer content and order was observed within each O157 and big-six serogroup, validating the qPCR method. Meanwhile, it was found that spacer deletion, the presence of an insertion sequence, and distinct alleles within a serogroup are sources of false-negative reactions. Conservation of CRISPR arrays among isolates expressing the same flagellar antigen, specifically, H7, H2, and H11, suggested that these isolates share an ancestor and provided an explanation for the false positives previously observed in the qPCR results. An analysis of spacer distribution across E. coli strains provided limited evidence for temporal spacer acquisition. Conversely, comparison of CRISPR sequences between strains along the stepwise evolution of O157:H7 from its O55:H7 ancestor revealed that, over this ∼7,000-year span, spacer deletion was the primary force generating CRISPR diversity.

  8. Aislamiento de Escherichia coli productor de toxina Shiga durante un brote de gastroenteritis en un Jardín Maternal de la Ciudad de Mar del Plata Isolation of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli strains during a gastrointestinal outbreak at a day care center in Mar del Plata City

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. Gomez

    2005-12-01

    Full Text Available Entre el 15 de octubre y el 8 de noviembre de 2003 ocurrió un brote de gastroenteritis en un Jardín Maternal de un Hospital de la ciudad de Mar del Plata. Catorce de un total de 80 niños (17,5%, edad promedio 23,6 ± 13,9 meses, presentaron diarrea, y un caso evolucionó a síndrome urémico hemolítico. La madre de uno de los afectados presentó diarrea simultáneamente. No se pudo establecer el origen del brote, pero probablemente la transmisión haya sido fundamentalmente persona a persona. Las prácticas habituales en el lactario del jardín maternal, y las condiciones inadecuadas de infraestructura y hábitos de higiene de la cocina del Hospital fueron señalados como factores de riesgo. En un caso se detectó Escherichia coli productor de toxina Shiga (STEC O103:H2, y STEC O26:H11 en otro. En el niño infectado por STEC O26:H11, la excreción se extendió por un período de 37 días. La no detección de STEC en aquellos casos en los cuales el intervalo entre el inicio de los síntomas y la toma de muestra fue mayor a 6 días, enfatiza la necesidad de la recolección temprana de especímenes. Las principales conclusiones de este estudio fueron la necesidad de establecer normas óptimas de higiene, informar rápidamente la ocurrencia de casos de gastroenteritis y confirmar la negativización de la excreción del patógeno.From October 15 to November 8, 2003, a gastrointestinal outbreak occurred at a day care center in a Hospital in Mar del Plata City. Fourteen out of 80 (17.5% children, mean age 23.6 ± 13.9 months, and the mother of one of them had diarrhea. One case developed hemolytic uremic syndrome. No conclusive evidence of the origin of the outbreak was found, but the epidemic curve suggested person-to-person spread. The usual practices at the place where infant milk formula was prepared at the day care center, together with the inadequate infrastructure conditions and hygiene practices at the kitchen of the hospital, were

  9. Isolation, Characterization and Antibiotic Resistance of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli in Hamburger and Evolution of Virulence Genes stx1, stx2, eaeA and hly by Multiplex PCR

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Kargar

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available Background & Objectives: Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC O157:H7 have emerged as pathogens that can cause food-borne infections and severe and potentially fatal illnesses in humans. E.coli O157:H7 colonizes the digestive tract of cattle and is transmitted to humans by food and water. The objectives of this study were to characterize the prevalence of E.coli O157:H7 isolates in hamburger in Shiraz and to test their antimicrobial sensitivity. Material & Methods: In this research, 428 samples of hamburger were collected from 7 main factories of meat products and enriched in TSB with novobiocin medium at 37ºC. Fermentation of sorbitol and lactose and activities of β- glucuronidase of separated bacteria were examined by using the SMAC and VRBA media and CHROMagar medium. Then isolation of E.coli O157:H7 was confirmed with the use of specific antisera; and with the multiplex PCR method, the presence of E.coli O157:H7 virulence genes – including stx1, stx2, eaeA, and hly – was analyzed. Finally, antibiotic resistance strains were tested with disk diffusion methods. Results: Out of all the examined samples, 264 (61.68% sorbitol-negative bacteria were separated in the CT-SMAC medium. After evaluation with specific antisera, the rate of the recognition of E.coli O157:H7 was 5 (1.17%. The stx1 and eaeA genes were diagnosed in 2 (0.47% cases of these samples. All the isolated bacteria were resistant to penicillin, clindamycin, and erythromycin antibiotics.Conclusion: The presence of STEC in animal products suggests that they may be a potential hazard for human health. A regular monitoring of STEC O157, mainly in hamburger, should be performed to prevent a possible consumer health threat.

  10. Pathogenic Escherichia coli producing Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamases isolated from surface water and wastewater.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Franz, Eelco; Veenman, Christiaan; van Hoek, Angela H A M; de Roda Husman, Ana; Blaak, Hetty

    2015-09-24

    To assess public health risks from environmental exposure to Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamases (ESBL)-producing bacteria, it is necessary to have insight in the proportion of relative harmless commensal variants and potentially pathogenic ones (which may directly cause disease). In the current study, 170 ESBL-producing E. coli from Dutch wastewater (n = 82) and surface water (n = 88) were characterized with respect to ESBL-genotype, phylogenetic group, resistance phenotype and virulence markers associated with enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC), enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC), enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC), extraintesinal E. coli (ExPEC), and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC). Overall, 17.1% of all ESBL-producing E. coli were suspected pathogenic variants. Suspected ExPECs constituted 8.8% of all ESBL-producing variants and 8.3% were potential gastrointestinal pathogens (4.1% EAEC, 1.8% EPEC, 1.2% EIEC, 1.2% ETEC, no STEC). Suspected pathogens were significantly associated with ESBL-genotype CTX-M-15 (X(2) = 14.7, P antibiotics. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that the aquatic environment is a potential reservoir of E. coli variants that combine ESBL-genes, a high level of multi-drug resistance and virulence factors, and therewith pose a health risk to humans upon exposure.

  11. Identification and Prevalence of Escherichia coli and Escherichia coli O157: H7 in Foods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ancuta Mihaela Rotar

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this study is to investigate the incidence of Escherichia coli in animal and non-animal foods, and mainly the incidence of the serotype O157: H7 producing verotoxin. The presence of common Escherichia coli and Escherichia coli O157: H7 in various foods (of animal and non animal origin was performed in Transylvania area. We analyzed a total of one hundred forty-one samples of minced meat, one hundred twenty-six samples of meat , twenty six samples of meat products, five samples of alcoholic beverages, three samples of seafood, one hundred samples of cheese from pasteurized milk, seventeen samples of butter, four samples of vegetables and one sample of milk powder, using the standard cultural method and Vidas Eco method for E. coli O157: H7 strains. E. coli was identified in 50 samples of minced meat, 55 samples of meat prepared, 4 samples of meat products, 2 samples of alcoholic beverages, 25 samples of cheese from pasteurized milk, 6 samples of butter and 1 sample of vegetables. In this study were not been identified any foods contaminated with the E. coli O157: H7 serotype. The results of this reasearch have demostrated that E. coli wich represents a hygienic indicator of recent food contamination, can be destroyed with heat treatment and hygienic handling of foods. Our country over the years has been among the few countries where the incidence of the E. coli O157: H7 serotype has been minimal.

  12. Escherichia Coli

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goodsell, David S.

    2009-01-01

    Diverse biological data may be used to create illustrations of molecules in their cellular context. I describe the scientific results that support a recent textbook illustration of an "Escherichia coli cell". The image magnifies a portion of the bacterium at one million times, showing the location and form of individual macromolecules. Results…

  13. Studies on occurrence, characterisation and decontamination of emerging pathogenic Escherichia coli (STEC, ETEC and EIEC) in table eggs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vinayananda, C O; Fairoze, Nadeem; Madhavaprasad, C B; Byregowda, S M; Nagaraj, C S; Bagalkot, Prashanth; Karabasanavar, Nagappa

    2017-12-01

    1. Escherichia coli is one of the most common facultative anaerobic species present in the gastrointestinal tract of animals and human beings. Usually they occur as commensals, but some serotypes can cause significant illnesses in humans as well as mammals and birds. 2. The occurrence of E. coli in different categories of table eggs collected from markets was evaluated. Isolates were analysed for the presence of virulence genes, antibiotic susceptibility pattern and efficacy of peracetic acid and chlorine for the purpose of decontaminating table eggs. 3. Significant differences were observed in the occurrence of E. coli between different groups viz. processed (cleaned, washed, sanitised and packed eggs), unprocessed (un-cleaned, un-sanitised and loose eggs) and free range (eggs obtained from backyard poultry) table eggs. Overall, E. coli occurred in table eggs at 28.6% with 22.9, 29.2 and 50.0% occurrence in processed, unprocessed and free-range table eggs, respectively. 4. A total of 24 isolates of E. coli were obtained and screened for virulence genes viz. STH, SLT1/2 and INVE genes. Of the 24 isolates recovered, 10 typeable isolates belonged to O141, O119, O9, O120 and O101 serotypes, while the remaining 14 were untypeable. Antibiograms of the isolates showed multiple antimicrobial resistance (MAR) index in the range of 0.13-0.40. 5. Peracetic acid (PAA) and chlorine (CL) were studied for their sanitisation efficacy; concentrations of 100 mg/kg of PAA and 200 mg/kg of CL completely inactivated E. coli over the egg surface and also resulted in 2.58 and 2.38 log reduction in total viable counts (TVC), respectively. 6. The presence of virulence-associated shiga-like toxin (SLT1/2) and invasion E (INVE) genes and antimicrobial resistance among the emerging serotypes of pathogenic E. coli isolated from table eggs has public health implications. It underscores the need to implement better management practices across the production systems and marketing channels to

  14. A comparative study of biofilm formation by Shiga toxigenic Escherichia coli using epifluorescence microscopy on stainless steel and a microtitre plate method.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rivas, Lucia; Dykes, Gary A; Fegan, Narelle

    2007-04-01

    Attachment of Shiga toxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC) to surfaces and the formation of biofilms may enhance persistence in a food processing environment and present a risk of contaminating products. Seven strains of STEC and three non-STEC strains were selected to compare two biofilm quantification methods; epifluorescence microscopy on stainless steel (SS) and a microtitre plate assay. The influence of prior growth in planktonic (nutrient broth) and sessile (nutrient agar) culture on biofilm production, as well as expression of surface structures and the possession of antigen 43 (encoded by agn43) on biofilm formation were also investigated. Biofilms were produced in diluted nutrient broth at 25 degrees C for 24 and 48 h. Curli expression was determined using congo red indicator agar, while the presence of agn43 was determined using polymerase chain reaction. No correlation was found between counts for epifluorescence microscopy on SS and the absorbance values obtained with the microtitre plate method for planktonic and sessile grown cultures. Different abilities of individual STEC strains to attach to SS and microtitre plates were found with some strains attaching better to each surface following growth in either planktonic or sessile culture. All O157 STEC strains had low biofilm counts on SS for planktonic and sessile grown cultures; however, one STEC O157:H- strain (EC516) had significantly greater (pbiofilm production on microtitre plates compared to the other O157 STEC strains. EC516 and other STEC (O174:H21 and O91:H21) strains expressing curli fimbriae were found to produce significantly greater (pbiofilms on microtitre plates compared to the non-curli expressing strains. No relationship was found between the production of type-I fimbriae, motility, agn43 and bacterial physicochemical properties (previously determined) and biofilm formation on SS or microtitre plates. Variations between the two biofilm determination methods may suggest that the biofilm

  15. Virulence factors, antimicrobial resistance, and plasmid content of Escherichia coli isolated in swine commercial farms Fatores de virulência, resistência aos antimicrobianos, presença de plasmídeos em Escherichia coli isoladas de amostras clínicas e ambientais de suínos

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    M.M. Costa

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available Virulence factors and antimicrobial resistance patterns of Escherichia coli isolates were evaluated. A total of 80 E. coli isolates were evaluated, being 64 from clinical samples (intestinal content and fragments of organs from diarrheic piglets, seven from feces of clinically healthy piglets and sows, and nine environmental samples (five from facilities, two from feed, one from insect, and one from waste. Molecular characterization was performed by PCR detection of fimbriae and toxin genes and plasmid content determination. The isolates were also characterized according to their resistance or sensitivity to the following drugs: ampicillin, trimethoprim:sulfamethoxazole, tetracycline, amikacine, colistin, norfloxacin, florfenicol, enrofloxacin, cefalexin, trimethoprim, neomycin, chloramphenicol, and gentamicin. From 80 E. coli isolates, 53.8% were classified as enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC, 2.5% were shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC, and 43.8% showed a non specific pattern and were unclassified. One fecal isolate from non-diarrheic piglet was classified as ETEC by PCR. Clinical isolates showed resistance mainly for tetracycline and trimethoprim:sulfamethoxazole. Plasmidial DNA was observed in 70 isolates, being 78.5% of clinical isolates, 8.57% of non-diarrheic feces, and 12.8% of environment.Os fatores de virulência e a resistência aos antimicrobianos foram avaliados em Escherichia coli. Um total de 80 isolados de E. coli, sendo 64 de amostras clínicas (conteúdo intestinal e fragmentos de órgãos de leitões diarreicos, sete das fezes de porcas e leitões saudáveis e nove de amostras ambientais (cinco de instalações, dois de alimentos, um de inseto e um de esterqueira. A caracterização molecular feita pela PCR objetivou detectar fimbrias e toxinas, bem como a determinação do conteúdo de plasmídeos. Os isolados foram caracterizados quanto à resistência ou sensibilidade às seguintes drogas: ampicilina, sulfazotrim

  16. Gene encoding virulence markers among Escherichia coli isolates ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    River water sources and diarrhoeic stools of residents in the Venda Region, Limpopo Province of South Africa were analysed for the prevalence of Escherichia coli (E. coli) and the presence of virulence genes among the isolates. A control group of 100 nondiarrhoeic stool samples was included. Escherichia coli was ...

  17. Effect of gamma radiation on the reduction of Salmonella strains, Listeria monocytogenes, and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli and sensory evaluation of minimally processed spinach (Tetragonia expansa).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rezende, Ana Carolina B; Igarashi, Maria Crystina; Destro, Maria Teresa; Franco, Bernadette D G M; Landgraf, Mariza

    2014-10-01

    This study evaluated the effects of irradiation on the reduction of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), Salmonella strains, and Listeria monocytogenes, as well as on the sensory characteristics of minimally processed spinach. Spinach samples were inoculated with a cocktail of three strains each of STEC, Salmonella strains, and L. monocytogenes, separately, and were exposed to gamma radiation doses of 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, and 1.0 kGy. Samples that were exposed to 0.0, 1.0, and 1.5 kGy and kept under refrigeration (4°C) for 12 days were submitted to sensory analysis. D10 -values ranged from 0.19 to 0.20 kGy for Salmonella and from 0.20 to 0.21 for L. monocytogenes; for STEC, the value was 0.17 kGy. Spinach showed good acceptability, even after exposure to 1.5 kGy. Because gamma radiation reduced the selected pathogens without causing significant changes in the quality of spinach leaves, it may be a useful method to improve safety in the fresh produce industry.

  18. Inactivation of Shiga toxin-producing O157:H7 and non-O157:H7 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in brine-injected, gas-grilled steaks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luchansky, John B; Porto-Fett, Anna C S; Shoyer, Bradley A; Call, Jeffrey E; Schlosser, Wayne; Shaw, William; Bauer, Nathan; Latimer, Heejeong

    2011-07-01

    We quantified translocation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 (ECOH) and non-O157:H7 verocytotoxigenic E. coli (STEC) into beef subprimals after brine injection and subsequently monitored their viability after cooking steaks cut therefrom. Beef subprimals were inoculated on the lean side with ca. 6.0 log CFU/g of a five-strain cocktail of rifampin-resistant ECOH or kanamycin-resistant STEC, and then passed once through an automatic brine-injector tenderizer, with the lean side facing upward. Brine solutions (9.9% ± 0.3% over fresh weight) consisted of 3.3% (wt/vol) of sodium tripolyphosphate and 3.3% (wt/vol) of sodium chloride, prepared both with (Lac(+), pH = 6.76) and without (Lac(-), pH = 8.02) a 25% (vol/vol) solution of a 60% potassium lactate-sodium diacetate syrup. For all samples injected with Lac(-) or Lac(+) brine, levels of ECOH or STEC recovered from the topmost 1 cm (i.e., segment 1) of a core sample obtained from tenderized subprimals ranged from ca. 4.7 to 6.3 log CFU/g; however, it was possible to recover ECOH or STEC from all six segments of all cores tested. Next, brine-injected steaks from tenderized subprimals were cooked on a commercial open-flame gas grill to internal endpoint temperatures of either 37.8 °C (100 °F), 48.8 °C (120 °F), 60 °C (140 °F), or 71.1 °C (160 °F). Regardless of brine formulation or temperature, cooking achieved reductions (expressed as log CFU per gram) of 0.3 to 4.1 of ECOH and 0.5 to 3.6 of STEC. However, fortuitous survivors were recovered even at 71.1 °C (160 °F) for ECOH and for STEC. Thus, ECOH and STEC behaved similarly, relative to translocation and thermal destruction: Tenderization via brine injection transferred both pathogens throughout subprimals and cooking highly contaminated, brine-injected steaks on a commercial gas grill at 71.1 °C (160 °F) did not kill all cells due, primarily, to nonuniform heating (i.e., cold spots) within the meat. Copyright ©, International Association for Food Protection

  19. escherichia coli serotypes confirmed in experimental mammary ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    DJFLEX

    VARIATIONS IN VIRULENCE OF THREE (3) ESCHERICHIA COLI. SEROTYPES CONFIRMED IN ... ows are susceptible to E. coli infection because. E. coli exist in the .... Coli infections in mice: A laboratory animal model for research in.

  20. Saltelli Global Sensitivity Analysis and Simulation Modelling to Identify Intervention Strategies to Reduce the Prevalence of Escherichia coli O157 Contaminated Beef Carcasses.

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    Victoria J Brookes

    Full Text Available Strains of Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli O157 (STEC O157 are important foodborne pathogens in humans, and outbreaks of illness have been associated with consumption of undercooked beef. Here, we determine the most effective intervention strategies to reduce the prevalence of STEC O157 contaminated beef carcasses using a modelling approach.A computational model simulated events and processes in the beef harvest chain. Information from empirical studies was used to parameterise the model. Variance-based global sensitivity analysis (GSA using the Saltelli method identified variables with the greatest influence on the prevalence of STEC O157 contaminated carcasses. Following a baseline scenario (no interventions, a series of simulations systematically introduced and tested interventions based on influential variables identified by repeated Saltelli GSA, to determine the most effective intervention strategy.Transfer of STEC O157 from hide or gastro-intestinal tract to carcass (improved abattoir hygiene had the greatest influence on the prevalence of contaminated carcases. Due to interactions between inputs (identified by Saltelli GSA, combinations of interventions based on improved abattoir hygiene achieved a greater reduction in maximum prevalence than would be expected from an additive effect of single interventions. The most effective combination was improved abattoir hygiene with vaccination, which achieved a greater than ten-fold decrease in maximum prevalence compared to the baseline scenario.Study results suggest that effective interventions to reduce the prevalence of STEC O157 contaminated carcasses should initially be based on improved abattoir hygiene. However, the effect of improved abattoir hygiene on the distribution of STEC O157 concentration on carcasses is an important information gap-further empirical research is required to determine whether reduced prevalence of contaminated carcasses is likely to result in reduced

  1. Thermal inactivation of Escherichia coli 0157:H7 (ECOH) and non-0157 Shiga-toxin producing E.coli (STEC) in mechanically tenderized veal

    Science.gov (United States)

    Among the veal samples tested by FSIS from June to September 2012, 3 of 11 (27.3%) were confirmed positive for STEC, compared to 5 of 729 (0.69%) beef trim samples. This difference in detection of confirmed positives from veal samples compared to that from beef is striking and raises the question of...

  2. Fitness of Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC)/Enteroaggregative E. coli O104:H4 in Comparison to That of EHEC O157: Survival Studies in Food and In Vitro.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Böhnlein, Christina; Kabisch, Jan; Meske, Diana; Franz, Charles M A P; Pichner, Rohtraud

    2016-11-01

    In 2011, one of the world's largest outbreaks of hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) occurred, caused by a rare Escherichia coli serotype, O104:H4, that shared the virulence profiles of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC)/enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) and enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC). The persistence and fitness factors of the highly virulent EHEC/EAEC O104:H4 strain, grown either in food or in vitro, were compared with those of E. coli O157 outbreak-associated strains. The log reduction rates of the different EHEC strains during the maturation of fermented sausages were not significantly different. Both the O157:NM and O104:H4 serotypes could be shown by qualitative enrichment to be present after 60 days of sausage storage. Moreover, the EHEC/EAEC O104:H4 strain appeared to be more viable than E. coli O157:H7 under conditions of decreased pH and in the presence of sodium nitrite. Analysis of specific EHEC strains in experiments with an EHEC inoculation cocktail showed a dominance of EHEC/EAEC O104:H4, which could be isolated from fermented sausages for 60 days. Inhibitory activities of EHEC/EAEC O104:H4 toward several E. coli strains, including serotype O157 strains, could be determined. Our study suggests that EHEC/EAEC O104:H4 is well adapted to the multiple adverse conditions occurring in fermented raw sausages. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that STEC strain cocktails composed of several serotypes, instead of E. coli O157:H7 alone, be used in food risk assessments. The enhanced persistence of EHEC/EAEC O104:H4 as a result of its robustness, as well as the production of bacteriocins, may account for its extraordinary virulence potential. In 2011, a severe outbreak caused by an EHEC/EAEC serovar O104:H4 strain led to many HUS sequelae. In this study, the persistence of the O104:H4 strain was compared with those of other outbreak-relevant STEC strains under conditions of fermented raw sausage production. Both O157:NM and O104:H4 strains could survive

  3. Dynamics of extended-spectrum cephalosporin resistance in pathogenic Escherichia coli isolated from diseased pigs in Quebec, Canada.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jahanbakhsh, Seyedehameneh; Smith, Matthew G; Kohan-Ghadr, Hamid-Reza; Letellier, Ann; Abraham, Sam; Trott, Darren J; Fairbrother, John Morris

    2016-08-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the evolution with time of ceftiofur-resistant Escherichia coli clinical isolates from pigs in Québec, Canada, between 1997 and 2012 with respect to pathotypes, clones and antimicrobial resistance. Eighty-five ceftiofur-resistant E. coli isolates were obtained from the OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health) Reference Laboratory for Escherichia coli. The most prevalent pathovirotypes were enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC):F4 (40%), extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) (16.5%) and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC):F18 (8.2%). Susceptibility testing to 15 antimicrobial agents revealed a high prevalence of resistance to 13 antimicrobials, with all isolates being multidrug-resistant. blaCMY-2 (96.5%) was the most frequently detected β-lactamase gene, followed by blaTEM (49.4%) and blaCTX-M (3.5%). Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) applied to 45 representative E. coli isolates revealed that resistance to ceftiofur is spread both horizontally and clonally. In addition, the emergence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing E. coli isolates carrying blaCTX-M was observed in 2011 and 2012 in distinct clones. The most predominant plasmid incompatibility (Inc) groups were IncFIB, IncI1, IncA/C and IncFIC. Resistance to gentamicin, kanamycin and chloramphenicol as well as the frequency of blaTEM and IncA/C significantly decreased over the study period, whereas the frequency of IncI1 and multidrug resistance to seven antimicrobial categories significantly increased. These findings reveal that extended-spectrum cephalosporin-resistant porcine E. coli isolates in Québec belong to several different clones with diverse antimicrobial resistance patterns and plasmids. Furthermore, blaCMY-2 was the major β-lactamase gene in these isolates. From 2011, we report the emergence of blaCTX-M in distinct clones. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. and International Society of Chemotherapy. All rights reserved.

  4. Genetic characterization of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O26:H11 strains isolated from animal, food, and clinical samples

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krüger, Alejandra; Lucchesi, Paula M. A.; Sanso, A. Mariel; Etcheverría, Analía I.; Bustamante, Ana V.; Burgán, Julia; Fernández, Luciana; Fernández, Daniel; Leotta, Gerardo; Friedrich, Alexander W.; Padola, Nora L.; Rossen, John W. A.

    2015-01-01

    The Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) may cause serious illness in human. Here we analyze O26:H11 strains known to be among the most reported STEC strains causing human infections. Genetic characterization of strains isolated from animal, food, and clinical specimens in Argentina showed that most carried either stx1a or stx2a subtypes. Interestingly, stx2a-positive O26:H11 rarely isolated from cattle in other countries showed to be an important proportion of O26:H11 strains circulating in cattle and food in our region. Seventeen percent of the isolates harbored more than one gene associated with antimicrobial resistance. In addition to stx, all strains contained the virulence genes eae-β, tir, efa, iha, espB, cif, espA, espF, espJ, nleA, nleB, nleC, and iss; and all except one contained ehxA, espP, and cba genes. On the other hand, toxB and espI genes were exclusively observed in stx2-positive isolates, whereas katP was only found in stx1a-positive isolates. Our results show that O26:H11 STEC strains circulating in Argentina, including those isolated from humans, cattle, and meat products, present a high pathogenic potential, and evidence that cattle can be a reservoir of O26:H11 strains harboring stx2a. PMID:26539413

  5. Pathogenic Escherichia coli and food handlers in luxury hotels in Nairobi, Kenya.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Onyango, Abel O; Kenya, Eucharia U; Mbithi, John J N; Ng'ayo, Musa O

    2009-11-01

    The epidemiology and virulence properties of pathogenic Escherichia coli among food handlers in tourist destination hotels in Kenya are largely uncharacterized. This cross-sectional study among consenting 885 food handlers working in nine luxurious tourist hotels in Nairobi, Kenya determined the epidemiology, virulence properties, antibiotics susceptibility profiles and conjugation abilities of pathogenic Escherichia coli. Pathogenic Escherichia coli was detected among 39 (4.4%) subjects, including 1.8% enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) harboring aggR genes, 1.2% enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) expressing both LT and STp toxins, 1.1% enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) and 0.2% Shiga-like Escherichia coli (EHEC) both harboring eaeA and stx2 genes respectively. All the pathotypes had increased surface hydrophobicity. Using multivariate analyses, food handlers with loose stools were more likely to be infected with pathogenic Escherichia coli. Majority 53.8% of the pathotypes were resistant to tetracycline with 40.2% being multi-drug resistant. About 85.7% pathotypes trans-conjugated with Escherichia coli K12 F(-) NA(r) LA. The carriage of multi-drug resistant, toxin expressing pathogenic Escherichia coli by this population is of public health concern because exposure to low doses can result in infection. Screening food handlers and implementing public awareness programs is recommended as an intervention to control transmission of enteric pathogens.

  6. Chromatin architecture and gene expression in Escherichia coli

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Willenbrock, Hanni; Ussery, David

    2004-01-01

    Two recent genome-scale analyses underscore the importance of DNA topology and chromatin structure in regulating transcription in Escherichia coli.......Two recent genome-scale analyses underscore the importance of DNA topology and chromatin structure in regulating transcription in Escherichia coli....

  7. Epidemiological analysis of a cluster within the outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli serotype O104:H4 in Northern Germany, 2011.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scharlach, Martina; Diercke, Michaela; Dreesman, Johannes; Jahn, Nicola; Krieck, Manuela; Beyrer, Konrad; Claußen, Katja; Pulz, Matthias; Floride, Regina

    2013-06-01

    In May 2011 one of the worldwide largest outbreaks of haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) and bloody diarrhoea caused by Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) serotype O104:H4 occurred in Germany. One of the most affected federal states was Lower Saxony. We present the investigation of a cluster of STEC and HUS cases within this outbreak by means of a retrospective cohort study. After a 70th birthday celebration which took place on 7th of May 2011 among 72 attendants seven confirmed cases and four probable cases were identified, two of them developed HUS. Median incubation period was 10 days. Only 35 persons (48.6%) definitely answered the question whether they had eaten the sprouts that were used for garnishing the salad. Univariable analysis revealed different food items, depending on the case definition, with Odds Ratio (OR)>1 indicating an association with STEC infection, but multivariable logistic regression showed no increased risk for STEC infection for any food item and any case definition. Sprouts as the source for the infection had to be assumed based on the results of a tracing back of the delivery ways from the catering company to the sprouts producer who was finally identified as the source of the entire German outbreak. In this large outbreak several case-control studies failed to identify the source of infection. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  8. Escherichia coli O157:H7 Acid Sensitivity Correlates with Flocculation Phenotype during Nutrient Limitation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kathryn L. Kay

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC strains vary in acid resistance; however, little is known about the underlying mechanisms that result in strain specific differences. Among 25 STEC O157:H7 strains tested, 7 strains flocculated when grown statically for 18 h in minimal salts medium at 37°C, while 18 strains did not. Interestingly, the flocculation phenotype (cells came out of suspension was found to correlate with degree of acid sensitivity in an assay with 400 mM acetic acid solution at pH 3.3 targeting acidified foods. Strains exhibiting flocculation were more acid sensitive and were designated FAS, for flocculation acid sensitive, while the acid resistant strain designated PAR for planktonic acid resistant. Flocculation was not observed for any strains during growth in complex medium (Luria Bertani broth. STEC strains B201 and B241 were chosen as representative FAS (2.4 log reduction and PAR (0.15 log reduction strains, respectively, due to differences in acid resistance and flocculation phenotype. Results from electron microscopy showed evidence of fimbriae production in B201, whereas fimbriae were not observed in B241.Curli fimbriae production was identified through plating on Congo red differential medium, and all FAS strains showed curli fimbriae production. Surprisingly, 5 PAR strains also had evidence of curli production. Transcriptomic and targeted gene expression data for B201 and B241indicated that csg and hde (curli and acid induced chaperone genes, respectively expression positively correlated with the phenotypic differences observed for these strains. These data suggest that FAS strains grown in minimal medium express curli, resulting in a flocculation phenotype. This may be regulated by GcvB, which positively regulates curli fimbriae production and represses acid chaperone proteins. RpoS and other regulatory mechanisms may impact curli fimbriae production, as well. These findings may help elucidate mechanisms

  9. Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abdullah Kilic

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available Escherichia coli is a bacterium that is commonly found in the gut of humans and warm-blooded animals. Most strains of E. coli are harmless for human. E. coli O157:H7 is the most common member of a group of pathogenic E. coli strains known variously as enterohaemorrhagic, verocytotoxin-producing, or Shiga-toxin-producing organisms. EHEC bacterium is the major cause of haemorrhagic colitis and haemolytic uraemic syndrome. The reservoir of this pathogen appears to be mainly cattle and other ruminants such as camels. It is transmitted to humans primarily through consumption of contaminated foods. [TAF Prev Med Bull 2011; 10(4.000: 387-388

  10. Prevalence of sorbitol non-fermenting Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in Black Bengal goats on smallholdings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Das Gupta, M; Das, A; Islam, M Z; Biswas, P K

    2016-09-01

    A cross-sectional survey was carried out in Bangladesh with the sampling of 514 Black Bengal goats on smallholdings to determine the presence of sorbitol non-fermenting (SNF) Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC). Swab samples collected from the recto-anal junction were plated onto cefixime and potassium tellurite added sorbitol MacConkey (CT-SMAC) agar, a selective medium for STEC O157 serogroup, where this serogroup and other SNF STEC produce colourless colonies. The SNF E. coli (SNF EC) isolates obtained from the survey were investigated by PCR for the presence of Shiga toxin-producing genes, stx1 and stx2, and two other virulence genes, eae and hlyA that code for adherence factor (intimin protein) and pore-forming cytolysin, respectively. The SNF EC isolates were also assessed for the presence of the rfbO157 gene to verify their identity to O157 serogroup. The results revealed that the proportions of goats carrying SNF EC isolates and stx1 and stx2 genes were 6·2% (32/514) [95% confidence interval (CI) 4·4-8·7)], 1·2% (95% CI 0·5-2·6) and 1·2% (95% CI 0·5-2·6), respectively. All the SNF STEC tested negative for rfbO157, hlyA and eae genes. The risk for transmission of STEC from Black Bengal goats to humans is low.

  11. ISOLATION AND MOLECULAR IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIALLY PATHOGENIC Escherichia coli AND Campylobacter jejuni IN FERAL PIGEONS FROM AN URBAN AREA IN THE CITY OF LIMA, PERU

    Science.gov (United States)

    CABALLERO, Moisés; RIVERA, Isabel; JARA, Luis M.; ULLOA-STANOJLOVIC, Francisco M.; SHIVA, Carlos

    2015-01-01

    SUMMARY Feral pigeons (Columbia livia) live in close contact with humans and other animals. They can transmit potentially pathogenic and zoonotic agents. The objective of this study was to isolate and detect strains of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli and Campylobacter jejuni of urban feral pigeons from an area of Lima, Peru. Fresh dropping samples from urban parks were collected for microbiological isolation of E. coli strains in selective agar, and Campylobacter by filtration method. Molecular identification of diarrheagenic pathotypes of E.coli and Campylobacter jejuni was performed by PCR. Twenty-two parks were sampled and 16 colonies of Campylobacter spp. were isolated. The 100% of isolates were identified as Campylobacter jejuni. Furthermore, 102 colonies of E. coliwere isolated and the 5.88% resulted as Enteropathogenic (EPEC) type and 0.98% as Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC). The urban feral pigeons of Lima in Peru can act as a reservoir or carriers of zoonotic potentially pathogenic enteric agents. PMID:26603225

  12. Behaviour of four diarrheagenic Escherichia coli pathotypes on carrots and in unpasteurized carrot juice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gómez-Aldapa, C A; Torres-Vitela, M Del R; Acevedo-Sandoval, O A; Rangel-Vargas, E; Villarruel-López, A; Castro-Rosas, J

    2013-12-01

    The behaviours of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC), enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) and enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) strains on raw carrots at 3 ± 1 and 30 ± 1°C, and in unpasteurized carrot juice at 3 ± 1, 12 ± 1, 20 ± 1, 30 ± 1°C and 37 ± 1°C were determined. Raw carrots were purchased in a local market. Fresh juice was obtained from raw carrots in the laboratory. On whole carrots stored at 30 ± 1 or 3 ± 1°C, no growth was observed for any of the diarrheagenic E. coli pathotype (DEPs) strains studied. After 15 days at 30 ± 1°C, the tested DEPs had decreased from an initial inoculum level of approximately 6 log colony-forming units (CFU) to approximately 3·5 log CFU on whole carrots, while at 3 ± 1°C, they decreased from approximately 2·4 log to 1·6 log CFU. All these DEPs grew in fresh carrot juice at 12 ± 1, 20 ± 1, 30 ± 1 and 37 ± 1°C, reaching counts of approximately 4·2 log, 5·8 log, 6·7 log and 7·5 log CFU ml(-1) , respectively, after 24 h. At 3 ± 1°C, the DEP growth was inhibited at least during 7 days. Thus, storage of carrot juice at unrefrigerated temperatures can result in DEP growth to levels likely to represent a risk to consumers. The information presented shows the potential of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, enteroinvasive E. coli, enteropathogenic E. coli and enterotoxigenic E. coli strains for survival on carrots and growth in carrot juice at warmer temperatures. The information can help food processors in plants and restaurants understand the importance of the implementation of hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) strategies for preventing potential diarrheagenic E. coli pathotypes (DEPs) contamination and growth in carrot juice. This is the first report regarding the behaviour these DEPs on carrots and in carrot juice. © 2013 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

  13. Antibiotic resistant Salmonella and Escherichia coli isolated from ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Results: A hundred and four indigenous chicken rectal swabs were analysed, of which 67.3% were contaminated with Escherichia coli and 12.5% with Salmonella typhimurium. Seventy Escherichia coli isolates showed resistance phenotypes to one, two or more antibiotics. The most common antimicrobial resistance pattern ...

  14. Pre-harvest management controls and intervention options for reducing escherichia coli O157:H7 shedding in cattle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cattle can be naturally colonized with enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC; also known as Shiga Toxin Producing E. coli, STEC) in their gastrointestinal tract. In order to further curtail these human illnesses and ensure a safe and wholesome food supply, research into preharvest E. coli O157:H7 and non...

  15. Detection and Characterization of Shiga Toxin Producing Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., and Yersinia Strains from Human, Animal, and Food Samples in San Luis, Argentina

    Science.gov (United States)

    Favier, Gabriela Isabel; Lucero Estrada, Cecilia; Cortiñas, Teresa Inés; Escudero, María Esther

    2014-01-01

    Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC), Salmonella spp., and Yersinia species was investigated in humans, animals, and foods in San Luis, Argentina. A total of 453 samples were analyzed by culture and PCR. The antimicrobial susceptibility of all the strains was studied, the genomic relationships among isolates of the same species were determined by PFGE, and the potencial virulence of Y. enterocolitica strains was analyzed. Yersinia species showed higher prevalence (9/453, 2.0%, 95% CI, 0.7–3.3%) than STEC (4/453, 0.9%, 95% CI, 0–1.8%) and Salmonella spp. (3/453, 0.7%, 95% CI, 0–1.5%). Y. enterocolitica and Y. intermedia were isolated from chicken carcasses (6/80, 7.5%, 95% CI, 1.5–13.5%) and porcine skin and bones (3/10, 30%, 95% CI, 0–65%). One STEC strain was recovered from human feces (1/70, 1.4%, 95% CI, 0–4.2%) and STEC stx1/stx2 genes were detected in bovine stools (3/129, 2.3%, 95% CI, 0–5.0%). S. Typhimurium was isolated from human feces (1/70, 1.4%, 95% CI, 0–4.2%) while one S. Newport and two S. Gaminara strains were recovered from one wild boar (1/3, 33%, 95% CI, 0–99%). The knowledge of prevalence and characteristics of these enteropathogens in our region would allow public health services to take adequate preventive measures. PMID:25177351

  16. Prevalence and Characterization of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli in Swine Feces Recovered in the National Animal Health Monitoring System's Swine 2000 Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fratamico, Pina M.; Bagi, Lori K.; Bush, Eric J.; Solow, Barbara T.

    2004-01-01

    A study was conducted to determine the prevalence of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in swine feces in the United States as part of the National Animal Health Monitoring System's Swine 2000 study. Fecal samples collected from swine operations from 13 of the top 17 swine-producing states were tested for the presence of STEC. After enrichment of swine fecal samples in tryptic soy broth, the samples were tested for the presence of stx1 and stx2 by use of the TaqMan E. coli STX1 and STX2 PCR assays. Enrichments of samples positive for stx1 and/or stx2 were plated, and colony hybridization was performed using digoxigenin-labeled probes complementary to the stx1 and stx2 genes. Positive colonies were picked and confirmed by PCR for the presence of the stx1, stx2, or stx2e genes, and the isolates were serotyped. Out of 687 fecal samples tested using the TaqMan assays, 70% (484 of 687) were positive for Shiga toxin genes, and 54% (370 of 687), 64% (436 of 687), and 38% (261 of 687) were positive for stx1, stx2, and both toxin genes, respectively. Out of 219 isolates that were characterized, 29 (13%) produced stx1, 14 (6%) produced stx2, and 176 (80%) produced stx2e. Twenty-three fecal samples contained at least two STEC strains that had different serotypes but that had the same toxin genes or included a strain that possessed stx1 in addition to a strain that possessed stx2 or stx2e. The STEC isolates belonged to various serogroups, including O2, O5, O7, O8, O9, OX10, O11, O15, OX18, O20, O57, O65, O68, O69, O78, O91, O96, O100, O101, O120, O121, O152, O159, O160, O163, and O untypeable. It is noteworthy that no isolates of serogroup O157 were recovered. Results of this study indicate that swine in the United States harbor STEC that can potentially cause human illness. PMID:15574914

  17. Variation in the Distribution of Putative Virulence and Colonization Factors in Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Isolated from Different Categories of Cattle

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Analía I. Etcheverría

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC are pathogens of significant public health concern. Several studies have confirmed that cattle are the main reservoir of STEC in Argentina and other countries. Although Shiga toxins represent the primary virulence factors of STEC, the adherence and colonization of the gut are also important in the pathogenesis of the bacteria. The aim of this study was to analyze and to compare the presence of putative virulence factors codified in plasmid -katP, espP, subA, stcE- and adhesins involved in colonization of cattle -efa1, iha- in 255 native STEC strains isolated from different categories of cattle from different production systems. The most prevalent gene in all strains was espP, and the less prevalent was stcE. katP was highly detected in strains isolated from young and rearing calves (33.3%, while subA was predominant in those isolated from adults (71.21%. Strains from young calves showed the highest percentage of efa1 (72.46%, while iha showed a high distribution in strains from rearing calves and adults (87.04 and 98.48% respectively. It was observed that espP and iha were widely distributed throughout all strains, whereas katP, stcE, and efa1 were more associated with the presence of eae and subA with the eae-negative strains. A great proportion of eae-negative strains were isolated from adults -dairy and grazing farms- and from rearing calves -dairy and feedlot-, while mostly of the eae-positive strains were isolated from dairy young calves. Data exposed indicate a correlation between the category of the animal and the production systems with the presence or absence of several genes implicated in adherence and virulence of STEC.

  18. Genetic makeup of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in relation to clinical symptoms and duration of shedding: a microarray analysis of isolates from Swedish children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matussek, A; Jernberg, C; Einemo, I-M; Monecke, S; Ehricht, R; Engelmann, I; Löfgren, S; Mernelius, S

    2017-08-01

    Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing Escherichia coli (STECs) cause non-bloody diarrhea, hemorrhagic colitis, and hemolytic uremic syndrome, and are the primary cause of acute renal failure in children worldwide. This study investigated the correlation of genetic makeup of STEC strains as revealed by DNA microarray to clinical symptoms and the duration of STEC shedding. All STEC isolated (n = 96) from patients <10 years of age in Jönköping County, Sweden from 2003 to 2015 were included. Isolates were characterized by DNA microarray, including almost 280 genes. Clinical data were collected through a questionnaire and by reviewing medical records. Of the 96 virulence genes (including stx) in the microarray, 62 genes were present in at least one isolate. Statistically significant differences in prevalence were observed for 21 genes when comparing patients with bloody diarrhea (BD) and with non-bloody stool (18 of 21 associated with BD). Most genes encode toxins (e.g., stx2 alleles, astA, toxB), adhesion factors (i.e. espB_O157, tir, eae), or secretion factors (e.g., espA, espF, espJ, etpD, nleA, nleB, nleC, tccP). Seven genes were associated with prolonged stx shedding; the presence of three genes (lpfA, senB, and stx1) and the absence of four genes (espB_O157, espF, astA, and intI1). We found STEC genes that might predict severe disease outcome already at diagnosis. This can be used to develop diagnostic tools for risk assessment of disease outcome. Furthermore, genes associated with the duration of stx shedding were detected, enabling a possible better prediction of length of STEC carriage after infection.

  19. Detection of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using chicken egg yolk IgY antibodies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parma, Y. R.; Chacana, P. A.; Lucchesi, P. M. A.; Rogé, A.; Granobles Velandia, C. V.; Krüger, A.; Parma, A. E.; Fernández-Miyakawa, M. E.

    2012-01-01

    Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC), a subset of Shiga toxin producing E. coli (STEC) is associated with a spectrum of diseases that includes diarrhea, hemorrhagic colitis and a life-threatening hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS). Regardless of serotype, Shiga toxins (Stx1 and/or Stx2) are uniformly expressed by all EHEC, and so exploitable targets for laboratory diagnosis of these pathogens. In this study, a sandwich ELISA for determination of Shiga toxin (Stx) was developed using anti-Stx2B subunit antibodies and its performance was compared with that of the Vero cell assay and a commercial immunoassay kit. Chicken IgY was used as capture antibody and a HRP-conjugated rabbit IgG as the detection antibody. The anti-Stx2B IgY was harvested from eggs laid by hens immunized with a recombinant protein fragment. Several parameters were tested in order to optimize the sandwich ELISA assay, including concentration of antibodies, type and concentration of blocking agent, and incubation temperatures. Supernatants from 42 STEC strains of different serotypes and stx variants, including stx2EDL933, stx2vha, stx2vhb, stx2g, stx1EDL933, and stx1d were tested. All Stx variants were detected by the sandwich ELISA, with a detection limit of 115 ng/ml Stx2. Twenty three strains negative for stx genes, including different bacteria species, showed no activity in Vero cell assay and produced negative results in ELISA, except for two strains. Our results show that anti-Stx2B IgY sandwich ELISA could be used in routine diagnosis as a rapid, specific and economic method for detection of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli. PMID:22919675

  20. Effect of antibiotics on cellular stress generated in Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 and non-O157 biofilms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Angel Villegas, Natalia; Baronetti, José; Albesa, Inés; Etcheverría, Analía; Becerra, M Cecilia; Padola, Nora L; Paraje, M Gabriela

    2015-10-01

    Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are important food-borne pathogens, with the main virulence factor of this bacterium being its capacity to secrete Shiga toxins (Stxs). Therefore, the use of certain antibiotics for the treatment of this infection, which induces the liberation of Stxs, is controversial. Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species are also involved in the pathogenesis of different diseases. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of antibiotics on biofilms of STEC and the relationships between cellular stress and the release of Stx. To this end, biofilms of reference and clinical strains were treated with antibiotics (ciprofloxacin, fosfomycin and rifaximin) and the production of oxidants, the antioxidant defense system and toxin release were evaluated. Ciprofloxacin altered the prooxidant-antioxidant balance, with a decrease of oxidant metabolites and an increase of superoxide dismutase and catalase activity, being associated with high-levels of Stx production. Furthermore, inhibition of oxidative stress by exogenous antioxidants was correlated with a reduction in the liberation of Stx, indicating the participation of this phenomenon in the release of this toxin. In contrast, fosfomycin and rifaximin produced less alteration with a minimal production of Stx. Our data show that treatment of biofilm-STEC with these antibiotics induces oxidative stress-mediated release of Stx. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Isolation and characterization of non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli from beef carcasses, cuts and trimmings of abattoirs in Argentina

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brusa, Victoria; Restovich, Viviana; Galli, Lucía; Teitelbaum, David; Signorini, Marcelo; Brasesco, Hebe; Londero, Alejandra; García, Diego; Padola, Nora Lía; Superno, Valeria; Sanz, Marcelo; Petroli, Sandra; Costa, Magdalena; Bruzzone, Mariana; Sucari, Adriana; Ferreghini, Marcela; Linares, Luciano; Suberbie, Germán; Rodríguez, Ricardo

    2017-01-01

    Several foods contaminated with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are associated with human diseases. Some countries have established microbiological criteria for non-O157 STEC, thus, the absence of serogroups O26, O45, O103, O104, O111, O121, and O145 in sprouts from the European Union or ground beef and beef trimmings from the United States is mandatory. While in Argentina screening for O26, O103, O111, O145 and O121 in ground beef, ready-to-eat food, sausages and vegetables is mandatory, other countries have zero-tolerance for all STEC in chilled beef. The aim of this study was to provide data on the prevalence of non-O157 STEC isolated from beef processed in eight Argentinean cattle slaughterhouses producing beef for export and local markets, and to know the non-O157 STEC profiles through strain characterization and genotypic analysis. Samples (n = 15,965) from 3,205 beef carcasses, 9,570 cuts and 3,190 trimmings collected between March and September 2014 were processed in pools of five samples each. Pools of samples (n = 3,193) from 641 carcasses, 1,914 cuts and 638 trimming were analyzed for non-O157 STEC isolation according to ISO/CEN 13136:2012. Of these, 37 pools of carcasses (5.8%), 111 pools of cuts (5.8%) and 45 pools of trimmings (7.0%) were positive for non-O157 STEC. STEC strains (n = 200) were isolated from 193 pools of samples. The most prevalent serotypes were O174:H21, O185:H7, O8:H19, O178:H19 and O130:H11, and the most prevalent genotypes were stx2c(vh-b) and stx2a/saa/ehxA. O103:H21 strain was eae-positive and one O178:H19 strain was aggR/aaiC-positive. The prevalence of non-O157 STEC in beef carcasses reported here was low. None of the non-O157 STEC strains isolated corresponded to the non-O157 STEC serotypes and virulence profiles isolated from human cases in Argentina in the same study period. The application of microbiological criteria for each foodstuff should be determined by risk analysis in order to have a stringent

  2. Isolation and characterization of non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli from beef carcasses, cuts and trimmings of abattoirs in Argentina.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Victoria Brusa

    Full Text Available Several foods contaminated with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC are associated with human diseases. Some countries have established microbiological criteria for non-O157 STEC, thus, the absence of serogroups O26, O45, O103, O104, O111, O121, and O145 in sprouts from the European Union or ground beef and beef trimmings from the United States is mandatory. While in Argentina screening for O26, O103, O111, O145 and O121 in ground beef, ready-to-eat food, sausages and vegetables is mandatory, other countries have zero-tolerance for all STEC in chilled beef. The aim of this study was to provide data on the prevalence of non-O157 STEC isolated from beef processed in eight Argentinean cattle slaughterhouses producing beef for export and local markets, and to know the non-O157 STEC profiles through strain characterization and genotypic analysis. Samples (n = 15,965 from 3,205 beef carcasses, 9,570 cuts and 3,190 trimmings collected between March and September 2014 were processed in pools of five samples each. Pools of samples (n = 3,193 from 641 carcasses, 1,914 cuts and 638 trimming were analyzed for non-O157 STEC isolation according to ISO/CEN 13136:2012. Of these, 37 pools of carcasses (5.8%, 111 pools of cuts (5.8% and 45 pools of trimmings (7.0% were positive for non-O157 STEC. STEC strains (n = 200 were isolated from 193 pools of samples. The most prevalent serotypes were O174:H21, O185:H7, O8:H19, O178:H19 and O130:H11, and the most prevalent genotypes were stx2c(vh-b and stx2a/saa/ehxA. O103:H21 strain was eae-positive and one O178:H19 strain was aggR/aaiC-positive. The prevalence of non-O157 STEC in beef carcasses reported here was low. None of the non-O157 STEC strains isolated corresponded to the non-O157 STEC serotypes and virulence profiles isolated from human cases in Argentina in the same study period. The application of microbiological criteria for each foodstuff should be determined by risk analysis in order to have a

  3. Fimbrial adhesins from extraintestinal Escherichia coli

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Klemm, Per; Hancock, Viktoria; Schembri, Mark A.

    2010-01-01

    Extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) represent an important subclass of E. coli that cause a wide spectrum of diseases in human and animal hosts. Fimbriae are key virulence factors of ExPEC strains. These long surface located rod-shaped organelles mediate receptor-specific attachment...

  4. Complete Genome Sequence of Escherichia coli Strain WG5

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Imamovic, Lejla; Misiakou, Maria-Anna; van der Helm, Eric

    2018-01-01

    Escherichia coli strain WG5 is a widely used host for phage detection, including somatic coliphages employed as standard ISO method 10705-1 (2000). Here, we present the complete genome sequence of a commercial E. coli WG5 strain.......Escherichia coli strain WG5 is a widely used host for phage detection, including somatic coliphages employed as standard ISO method 10705-1 (2000). Here, we present the complete genome sequence of a commercial E. coli WG5 strain....

  5. Role of bacteriophages in STEC infections: new implications for the design of prophylactic and treatment approaches [v2; ref status: indexed, http://f1000r.es/437

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jaime H. Amorim

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Shiga toxin (Stx is considered the main virulence factor in Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC infections. Previously we reported the expression of biologically active Stx by eukaryotic cells in vitro and in vivo following transfection with plasmids encoding Stx under control of the native bacterial promoter1,2. Since stx genes are present in the genome of lysogenic bacteriophages, here we evaluated the relevance of bacteriophages during STEC infection. We used the non-pathogenic E. coli C600 strain carrying a lysogenic 933W mutant bacteriophage in which the stx operon was replaced by a gene encoding the green fluorescent protein (GFP. Tracking GFP expression using an In Vivo Imaging System (IVIS, we detected fluorescence in liver, kidney, and intestine of mice infected with the recombinant E. coli strain after treatment with ciprofloxacin, which induces the lytic replication and release of bacteriophages. In addition, we showed that chitosan, a linear polysaccharide composed of d-glucosamine residues and with a number of commercial and biomedical uses, had strong anti-bacteriophage effects, as demonstrated at in vitro and in vivo conditions. These findings bring promising perspectives for the prevention and treatment of haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS cases.

  6. Control of the Biofilms Formed by Curli- and Cellulose-Expressing Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Using Treatments with Organic Acids and Commercial Sanitizers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Yoen Ju; Chen, Jinru

    2015-05-01

    Biofilms are a mixture of bacteria and extracellular products secreted by bacterial cells and are of great concern to the food industry because they offer physical, mechanical, and biological protection to bacterial cells. This study was conducted to quantify biofilms formed by different Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains on polystyrene and stainless steel surfaces and to determine the effectiveness of sanitizing treatments in control of these biofilms. STEC producing various amounts of cellulose (n = 6) or curli (n = 6) were allowed to develop biofilms on polystyrene and stainless steel surfaces at 28°C for 7 days. The biofilms were treated with 2% acetic or lactic acid and manufacturer-recommended concentrations of acidic or alkaline sanitizers, and residual biofilms were quantified. Treatments with the acidic and alkaline sanitizers were more effective than those with the organic acids for removing the biofilms. Compared with their counterparts, cells expressing a greater amount of cellulose or curli formed more biofilm mass and had greater residual mass after sanitizing treatments on polystyrene than on stainless steel. Research suggests that the organic acids and sanitizers used in the present study differed in their ability to control biofilms. Bacterial surface components and cell contact surfaces can influence both biofilm formation and the efficacy of sanitizing treatments. These results provide additional information on control of biofilms formed by STEC.

  7. 99mTechnetium labelled Escherichia coli

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Diniz, S.O.F.; Cardoso, V.N.; Resende, B.M.; Nunan, E.A.; Simal, C.J.R.

    1999-01-01

    Samples of a culture of unlabeled Escherichia coli were incubated with different concentrations of stannous chloride for various time periods. 99m Tc (26.0 MBq) was added to each preparation and the results showed a labelling yield of 98% for E. coli. Since the bacterial viability of 99m Tc-E. coli and E. coli did not show any statistical differences, these results demonstrate that labelling of E. coli with 99m Tc does not modify the bacterial viability, and the radiolabelled bacteria may be a good model to study bacterial translocation

  8. Prevalence of shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, and Listeria monocytogenes at public access watershed sites in a California Central Coast agricultural region.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cooley, Michael B; Quiñones, Beatriz; Oryang, David; Mandrell, Robert E; Gorski, Lisa

    2014-01-01

    Produce contaminated with enteric pathogens is a major source of foodborne illness in the United States. Lakes, streams, rivers, and ponds were sampled with Moore swabs bi-monthly for over 2 years at 30 locations in the vicinity of a leafy green growing region on the Central California Coast and screened for Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC), Salmonella enterica, and Listeria monocytogenes to evaluate the prevalence and persistence of pathogen subtypes. The prevalence of STEC from 1386 samples was 11%; 110 samples (8%) contained E. coli O157:H7 with the highest prevalence occurring close to cattle operations. Non-O157 STEC isolates represented major clinical O-types and 57% contained both shiga toxin types 1 and 2 and intimin. Multiple Locus Variable Number Tandem Repeat Analysis of STEC isolates indicated prevalent strains during the period of study. Notably, Salmonella was present at high levels throughout the sampling region with 65% prevalence in 1405 samples resulting in 996 isolates with slightly lower prevalence in late autumn. There were 2, 8, and 14 sites that were Salmonella-positive over 90, 80, and 70% of the time, respectively. The serotypes identified most often were 6,8:d:-, Typhimurium, and Give. Interestingly, analysis by Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis indicated persistence and transport of pulsotypes in the region over several years. In this original study of L. monocytogenes in the region prevalence was 43% of 1405 samples resulting in 635 individual isolates. Over 85% of the isolates belonged to serotype 4b with serotypes 1/2a, 1/2b, 3a, 4d with 4e representing the rest, and there were 12 and 2 sites that were positive over 50 and 80% of the time, respectively. Although surface water is not directly used for irrigation in this region, transport to the produce can occur by other means. This environmental survey assesses initial contamination levels toward an understanding of transport leading to produce recalls or outbreaks.

  9. Mexican unpasteurised fresh cheeses are contaminated with Salmonella spp., non-O157 Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli and potential uropathogenic E. coli strains: A public health risk.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guzman-Hernandez, Rosa; Contreras-Rodriguez, Araceli; Hernandez-Velez, Rosa; Perez-Martinez, Iza; Lopez-Merino, Ahide; Zaidi, Mussaret B; Estrada-Garcia, Teresa

    2016-11-21

    Fresh cheeses are a main garnish of Mexican food. Consumption of artisanal fresh cheeses is very common and most of them are made from unpasteurised cow milk. A total of 52 fresh unpasteurised cheeses of five different types were purchased from a variety of suppliers from Tabasco, Mexico. Using the most probable number method, 67% and 63% of samples were positive for faecal coliforms and E. coli, respectively; revealing their low microbiological quality. General hygienic conditions and practices of traditional cheese manufacturers were poor; most establishments had unclean cement floors, all lacked windows and doors screens, and none of the food-handlers wore aprons, surgical masks or bouffant caps. After analysing all E. coli isolates (121 strains) for the presence of 26 virulence genes, results showed that 9 (17%) samples were contaminated with diarrheagenic E. coli strains, 8 harboured non-O157 Shiga toxin producing E. coli (STEC), and one sample contained both STEC and diffusely adherent E. coli strains. All STEC strains carried the stx1 gene. Potential uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) strains were isolated from 15 (29%) samples; the most frequent gene combination was fimA-agn43. Two samples were contaminated with Salmonella. The results demonstrated that unpasteurised fresh cheeses produced in Tabasco are of poor microbiological quality and may frequently harbour foodborne pathogens. Food safety authorities in Mexico need to conduct more rigorous surveillance of fresh cheeses. Furthermore, simple and inexpensive measures as establishing programs emphasizing good hand milking practices and hygienic manufacturing procedures may have a major effect on improving the microbiological quality of these food items. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Asymptomatic bacteriuria Escherichia coli strains

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hancock, Viktoria; Nielsen, E.M.; Klemm, Per

    2006-01-01

    Urinary tract infections (UTIs) affect millions of people each year. Escherichia coli is the most common organism associated with asymptomatic bacteriuria (ABU) in humans. Persons affected by ABU may carry a particular E. coli strain for extended periods of time without any symptoms. In contrast...... to uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) that cause symptomatic UTI, very little is known about the mechanisms by which these strains colonize the urinary tract. Here, we have investigated the growth characteristics in human urine as well as adhesin repertoire of nine ABU strains; the ability of ABU strains to compete...

  11. Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Rune Micha; Nielsen, Marc Trunjer Kusk; Möller, Sören

    2018-01-01

    samples of patients with suspected infective gastroenteritis were analysed for STEC. METHODS: In this population-based cohort study, all stool samples referred to two clinical microbiology laboratories, were screened for STEC by culture and/or PCR. Epidemiological (n=170) and clinical (n=209...

  12. Occurrence and characterization of stx and/or eae-positive Escherichia coli isolated from wildlife, including a typical EPEC strain from a wild boar.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alonso, Carla Andrea; Mora, Azucena; Díaz, Dafne; Blanco, Miguel; González-Barrio, David; Ruiz-Fons, Francisco; Simón, Carmen; Blanco, Jorge; Torres, Carmen

    2017-08-01

    Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) and enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) strains are food-borne pathogens associated with acute diarrhea. Haemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) is often a complication of STEC infection. In order to examine the occurrence, serotypes, virulence and antimicrobial-resistance profiles of STEC and EPEC in wildlife, 326 faecal E. coli strains from 304 clinically healthy animals were analyzed. For this approach stx 1 , stx 2 and eae genes, as well as accessory virulence determinants (ehx, hlyA, saa, tia, bfp, subAB) were PCR-screened and sequenced. Serotyping was performed employing all available O (O1-O185) and H (H1-H56) antisera. Genetic diversity was analyzed by XbaI-PFGE and phylotyping. Thirteen STEC (4.3%) and 10 EPEC (3.3%) were identified among 12 deer, 3 mouflon, 6 wild boars and 2 birds. Nine STEC showed seropathotypes B (O145:[H28]) and C (O22:H8, O128:[H2]) associated with HUS, and D (O110:H28, O146:H21, O146:[H28], ONT:H8) associated with human diarrhea. Although most isolates harbored stx 2b and stx 1c variants, stx 2a and stx 1a (related with severe disease) were also detected. Additionally, the eae gene was present in one stx 2a -positive O145:[H28] STEC from a deer and 11 STEC harbored subAB genes (mainly the subAB 2 variant). EPEC isolates showed 7 different intimin variants (β1, β2, γ1, ε1, ζ1, ι1-A, κ). Interestingly, the O49:[H10] eae-κ EPEC isolated from a wild boar was bfpA-positive showing a combination of serotype/virulence profile previously detected among human clinical tEPEC. Based on present results, wild ruminants, wild boars and to a lesser extent birds would be carriers of potentially pathogenic STEC and EPEC strains. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Detection of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using chicken egg yolk IgY antibodies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yanil R Parma

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC, a subset of Shiga toxin producing E. coli (STEC is associated with a spectrum of diseases that includes diarrhea, hemorrhagic colitis and a life-threatening hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS. Regardless of serotype, Shiga toxins (Stx1 and/or Stx2 are uniformly expressed by all EHEC, and so exploitable targets for laboratory diagnosis of these pathogens. In this study, a sandwich ELISA for determination of Shiga toxin (Stx was developed using anti-Stx2 B subunit antibodies and its performance was compared with that of the Vero cell assay and a commercial immunoassay kit. Chicken IgY was used as capture antibody and a HRP-conjugated rabbit IgG as the detection antibody. The anti-Stx2B IgY was harvested from eggs laid by hens immunized with a recombinant protein fragment. Several parameters were tested in order to optimize the sandwich ELISA assay, including concentration of antibodies, type and concentration of blocking agent, and incubation temperatures. Supernatants from 42 STEC strains of different serotypes and stx variants, including stx2EDL933, stx2vha, stx2vhb, stx2g, stx1EDL933 and stx1d were tested. All Stx variants were detected by the sandwich ELISA, with a detection limit of 400 ng /ml Stx2. Twenty three strains negative for stx genes, including different bacteria species, showed no activity in Vero cell assay and produced negative results in ELISA, except for 2 strains. Our results show that anti-Stx2B IgY sandwich ELISA could be used in routine diagnosis as a rapid, specific and economic method for detection of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli.

  14. Detection of E.Coli Strains Containing Shiga Toxin (Stx1/2 Gene in Diarrheal Specimens from Children Less than 5 Years Old by PCR Technique and Study of the Patterns of Antibiotic Resistance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    MR Pourmand

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Shiga toxin- producing Escherichia coli (STEC is an emerging bacterial pathogen in developing countries that causes several diseases such as diarrhea, hemorrhagic colitis (HC and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS, particularly in children. Aim of the research was detection of STEC in diarrheal specimens from under 5 year olds and study of the patterns of antibiotic resistance of these strains. Methods: In the study,300 fecal samples were collected from children with diarrhea referring to Ali Asghar Hospital. E.coli species were isolated by standard bacteriological and biochemical tests. Presence of shiga toxin genes (stx1/2 was investigated by PCR technique (Qiagen. Antibiogram test for strains containing the toxin gene was performed using 16 different antibiotic discs (MAST by disc diffusion agar (Kirby-Bauer method. Results: From 39 E.coli isolates, 9(23.1% strains were detected by PCR to contain stx1/2 gene. One strain was resistant to all 16 antibiotics. All the STEC strains were sensitive to meropenem (MRP, imipenem (IMI, gentamycin (GEN and nitrofurantoin (NI. 4(44.44% strains showed multi-drug resistant pattern. All these 4strains were resistant to cotrimoxazole(SxT. Also, 6(66.66% strains were resistant to at least one antibiotic. Conclusion: In Iran, shiga toxin- producing Escherichia coli (STEC may be a commonly bacterial pathogen causing diarrhea, particularly in children. Therefore, we should use new techniques for investigation of these strains. Increase in number of emerging and new strains that could be resistant to classic antibiotics such as cotrimoxazole may be foreseen. It is suggested that antibiotics prescription programs in treatment of diarrhea causing E.coli strains be updated.

  15. [Virulence markers of Escherichia coli O1 strains].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Makarova, M A; Kaftyreva, L A; Grigor'eva, N S; Kicha, E V; Lipatova, L A

    2011-01-01

    To detect virulence genes in clinical isolates of Escherichia coli O1 using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). One hundred and twenty strains of E.coli O1 strains isolated from faeces of patients with acute diarrhea (n = 45) and healthy persons (n = 75) were studied. PCR with primers for rfb and fliC genes, which control synthesis of O- and H- antigens respectively, was used. Fourteen virulence genes (pap, aaf, sfa, afa, eaeA, bfpA, ial, hly, cnf, stx1, stx2, lt, st, and aer) were detected by PCR primers. K1-antigen was determined by Pastorex Meningo B/E. coli O1 kit (Bio-Rad). rfb gene controlling O-antigen synthesis in serogroup O1 as well as fliC gene controlling synthesis of H7 and K1 antigens were detected in all strains. Thus all E. coli strains had antigenic structure O1:K1 :H-:F7. Virulence genes aafl, sfa, afa, eaeA, bfpA, ial, hly, cnf, stx1, stx2, lt, and st were not detected. All strains owned pap and aer genes regardless of the presence of acute diarrhea symptoms. It was shown that E. coli O1:KI:H-:F7 strains do not have virulence genes which are characteristic for diarrhea-causing Escherichia. In accordance with the presence of pap and aer genes they could be attributed to uropathogenic Escherichia (UPEC) or avian-pathogenic Escherichia (APEC). It is necessary to detect virulence factors in order to determine E. coli as a cause of intestinal infection.

  16. Prevalence of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli virulence genes in the feces of slaughtered cattle, chickens, and pigs in Burkina Faso

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kagambèga, Assèta; Martikainen, Outi; Siitonen, Anja; Traoré, Alfred S; Barro, Nicolas; Haukka, Kaisa

    2012-01-01

    We investigated the prevalence of the virulence genes specific for five major pathogroups of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (DEC) in primary cultures from feces of animals slaughtered for human consumption in Burkina Faso. For the study, 704 feces samples were collected from cattle (n = 304), chickens (n = 350), and pigs (n = 50) during carcass processing. The presence of the virulence-associated genes in the mixed bacterial cultures was assessed using 16-plex polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Virulence genes indicating presence of DEC were detected in 48% of the cattle, 48% of the chicken, and 68% of the pig feces samples. Virulence genes specific for different DECs were detected in the following percentages of the cattle, chicken, and pig feces samples: Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) in 37%, 6%, and 30%; enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) in 8%, 37%, and 32%; enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) in 4%, 5%, and 18%; and enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC) in 7%, 6%, and 32%. Enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC) virulence genes were detected in 1% of chicken feces samples only. The study was the first of its kind in Burkina Faso and revealed the common occurrence of the diarrheal virulence genes in feces of food animals. This indicates that food animals are reservoirs of DEC that may contaminate meat because of the defective slaughter and storage conditions and pose a health risk to the consumers in Burkina Faso. PMID:23170227

  17. Fate of acid-resistant and non-acid resistant Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli strains in experimentally contaminated French fermented raw meat sausages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montet, M P; Christieans, S; Thevenot, D; Coppet, V; Ganet, S; Muller, M L Delignette; Dunière, L; Miszczycha, S; Vernozy-Rozand, C

    2009-02-28

    Both pathogenic and nonpathogenic E. coli exhibit a stress response to sublethal environmental stresses. Several studies have reported acid tolerance and survival characteristics of E. coli O157:H7 in foodstuffs, but there are few reports about the tolerance of non-O157 serogroups (STEC) to organic acids in foods. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of the manufacturing process of French fermented raw meat sausages on the growth and survival of acid-resistant (AR) and non-acid resistant (NAR) STEC strains. The six strains, 3 AR and 3 NAR, were inoculated separately into raw sausage mixture at a level of 10(4)-10(5) CFU/g. A total of 19 batches of sausages were manufactured. A rapid and similar decrease in the number of both AR and NAR STEC strains, from less than 1 to 1.5 log(10) CFU/g, was observed during the first 5 days of fermentation at 20-24 degrees C. This rapid decrease was followed by a more gradual but continuous decrease in STEC counts after drying at 13-14 degrees C, up to day 35. The STEC counts were <10 CFU/g after 35 days for the NAR strains and the same concentration for the AR strains on the best before date (day 60). It was not possible to detect any NAR STEC after 60 days. The present study shows that the process used in the manufacture of French sausages results in a complete destruction of NAR STEC strains after 60 days, but it does not have the same effect on the AR STEC strains.

  18. Characterization of Escherichia coli Phylogenetic Groups ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Background: Escherichia coli strains mainly fall into four phylogenetic groups (A, B1, B2, and D) and that virulent extra‑intestinal strains mainly belong to groups B2 and D. Aim: The aim was to determine the association between phylogenetic groups of E. coli causing extraintestinal infections (ExPEC) regarding the site of ...

  19. WGS accurately predicts antimicrobial resistance in Escherichia coli

    Science.gov (United States)

    Objectives: To determine the effectiveness of whole-genome sequencing (WGS) in identifying resistance genotypes of multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli (E. coli) and whether these correlate with observed phenotypes. Methods: Seventy-six E. coli strains were isolated from farm cattle and measured f...

  20. Anti-bacterial effect of essential oil from Xanthium strumarium against shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharifi-Rad, J; Soufi, L; Ayatollahi, S A M; Iriti, M; Sharifi-Rad, M; Varoni, E M; Shahri, F; Esposito, S; Kuhestani, K; Sharifi-Rad, M

    2016-09-19

    Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) serotype O157:H7 is one of the most important human pathogenic microorganisms, which can cause life-threatening infections. Xanthium strumarium L. is a plant with anti-bacterial activity against gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. This study aims to demonstrate in vitro efficacy of the essential oil (EO) extracted from Xanthium strumarium L. against E. coli O157:H7. Using the agar test diffusion, the effect of Xanthium strumarium L. EO (5, 10, 15, 30, 60, and 120 mg/mL) was verified at each of the four different growth phases of E. coli O157:H7. Cell counts of viable cells and colony forming unit (CFU) were determined at regular time points using Breed's method and colony counting method, respectively. No viable cell was detectable after the 1 hour-exposure to X. strumarium EO at 30, 60, and 120 mg/mL concentrations. No bacterial colony was formed after 1 h until the end of the incubation period at 24 h. At lower concentrations, the number of bacteria cells decreased and colonies could be observed only after incubation. At the exponential phase, the EO at 15 mg/mL was only bacteriostatic, while from 30 mg/mL started to be bactericidal. X. strumarium EO antibacterial activity against Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157:H7 is dependent on EO concentration and physiological state of the microorganisms tested. The best inhibitory activity was achieved during the late exponential and the stationary phases.

  1. Transport of Escherichia coli phage through saturated porous media considering managed aquifer recharge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Wenjing; Li, Shuo; Wang, Shuang; Lei, Liancheng; Yu, Xipeng; Ma, Tianyi

    2018-03-01

    Virus is one of the most potentially harmful microorganisms in groundwater. In this paper, the effects of hydrodynamic and hydrogeochemical conditions on the transportation of the colloidal virus considering managed aquifer recharge were systematically investigated. Escherichia coli phage, vB_EcoM-ep3, has a broad host range and was able to lyse pathogenic Escherichia coli. Bacteriophage with low risk to infect human has been found extensively in the groundwater environment, so it is considered as a representative model of groundwater viruses. Laboratory studies were carried out to analyze the transport of the Escherichia coli phage under varying conditions of pH, ionic strength, cation valence, flow rate, porous media, and phosphate buffer concentration. The results indicated that decreasing the pH will increase the adsorption of Escherichia coli phage. Increasing the ionic strength, either Na + or Ca 2+ , will form negative condition for the migration of Escherichia coli phage. A comparison of different cation valence tests indicated that changes in transport and deposition were more pronounced with divalent Ca 2+ than monovalent Na + . As the flow rate increases, the release of Escherichia coli phage increases and the retention of Escherichia coli phage in the aquifer medium reduces. Changes in porous media had a significant effect on Escherichia coli phage migration. With increase of phosphate buffer concentration, the suspension stability and migration ability of Escherichia coli phage are both increased. Based on laboratory-scale column experiments, a one-dimensional transport model was established to quantitatively describe the virus transport in saturated porous medium.

  2. ELECTROPHORETIC MOBILITIES OF ESCHERICHIA COLI 0157:H7 AND WILD-TYPE ESCHERICHIA COLI STRAINS

    Science.gov (United States)

    The electrophoretic mobility (EPM) of a number of human-virulent and "wild-type" Escherichia coli strains in phosphate buffered water was measured. The impact of pH, ionic strength, cation type (valence) and concentration, and bacterial strain on the EPM was investigated. Resul...

  3. Escherichia coli survival in waters: Temperature dependence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knowing the survival rates of water-borne Escherichia coli is important in evaluating microbial contamination and making appropriate management decisions. E. coli survival rates are dependent on temperature, a dependency that is routinely expressed using an analogue of the Q10 mo...

  4. Investigation of Listeria, Salmonella, and toxigenic Escherichia coli in various pet foods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nemser, Sarah M; Doran, Tara; Grabenstein, Michael; McConnell, Terri; McGrath, Timothy; Pamboukian, Ruiqing; Smith, Angele C; Achen, Maya; Danzeisen, Gregory; Kim, Sun; Liu, Yong; Robeson, Sharon; Rosario, Grisel; McWilliams Wilson, Karen; Reimschuessel, Renate

    2014-09-01

    The Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network (Vet-LIRN), in collaboration with the Food Emergency Response Network (FERN) and its Microbiology Cooperative Agreement Program (MCAP) laboratories, conducted a study to evaluate the prevalence of selected microbial organisms in various types of pet foods. The goal of this blinded study was to help the Center for Veterinary Medicine prioritize potential future pet food-testing efforts. The study also increased the FERN laboratories' screening capabilities for foodborne pathogens in animal feed matrices, since such pathogens may also be a significant health risk to consumers who come into contact with pet foods. Six U.S. Food and Drug Administration FERN MCAP laboratories analyzed approximately 1056 samples over 2 years. Laboratories tested for Salmonella, Listeria, Escherichia coli O157:H7 enterohemorrhagic E. coli, and Shiga toxin-producing strains of E. coli (STEC). Dry and semimoist dog and cat foods purchased from local stores were tested during Phase 1. Raw dog and cat foods, exotic animal feed, and jerky-type treats purchased through the Internet were tested in Phase 2. Of the 480 dry and semimoist samples, only 2 tested positive: 1 for Salmonella and 1 for Listeria greyii. However, of the 576 samples analyzed during Phase 2, 66 samples were positive for Listeria (32 of those were Listeria monocytogenes) and 15 samples positive for Salmonella. These pathogens were isolated from raw foods and jerky-type treats, not the exotic animal dry feeds. This study showed that raw pet foods may harbor food safety pathogens, such as Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella. Consumers should handle these products carefully, being mindful of the potential risks to human and animal health.

  5. Involvement of Angiopoietin-2 and Tie2 Receptor Phosphorylation in STEC-HUS Mediated by Escherichia coli O104:H4

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexander Lukasz

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Escherichia coli O104:H4-associated hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS is characterized by Shiga toxin-induced vascular damage. As indicated by recent studies, dysregulation of the angiopoietin (Angpt/Tie2 ligand receptor system may be crucial for endothelial dysfunction in HUS. Early Angpt-2 levels quantified in 48 adult HUS patients were predictive for a complicated clinical course, in particular for need of hemodialysis and mechanical ventilation as well as occurrence of seizures. In vitro challenge of human umbilical vein endothelial cells with patients’ sera indicated an injurious mediator role of Angpt-2 opening future perspectives for mitigating endothelial activation in HUS.

  6. Chromosomal features of Escherichia coli serotype O2:K2, an avian pathogenic E. coli

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jørgensen, Steffen L; Kudirkiene, Egle; Li, Lili

    2017-01-01

    Escherichia coli causing infection outside the gastrointestinal system are referred to as extra-intestinal pathogenic E. coli. Avian pathogenic E. coli is a subgroup of extra-intestinal pathogenic E. coli and infections due to avian pathogenic E. coli have major impact on poultry production econo...

  7. Comparison of 61 Sequenced Escherichia coli Genomes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lukjancenko, Oksana; Wassenaar, T. M.; Ussery, David

    2010-01-01

    Escherichia coli is an important component of the biosphere and is an ideal model for studies of processes involved in bacterial genome evolution. Sixty-one publically available E. coli and Shigella spp. sequenced genomes are compared, using basic methods to produce phylogenetic and proteomics...

  8. lactamase in clinical isolates of Escherichia coli

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Jane

    2011-08-22

    Aug 22, 2011 ... The beta lactamase enzyme producing E. coli, resistant to β-lactam antibiotics, created many problems ... Key words: Escherichia coli, β-lactamase enzymes, TEM-type extended spectrum ... difficulties in treatment using antibiotics that are currently ... and chloramphenicol (30 µg) (Mast Diagnostics Ltd., UK).

  9. Paediatric HUS Cases Related to the Consumption of Raw Milk Sold by Vending Machines in Italy: Quantitative Risk Assessment Based on Escherichia coli O157 Official Controls over 7 years.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giacometti, F; Bonilauri, P; Piva, S; Scavia, G; Amatiste, S; Bianchi, D M; Losio, M N; Bilei, S; Cascone, G; Comin, D; Daminelli, P; Decastelli, L; Merialdi, G; Mioni, R; Peli, A; Petruzzelli, A; Tonucci, F; Liuzzo, G; Serraino, A

    2017-11-01

    A quantitative risk assessment (RA) was developed to estimate haemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) cases in paediatric population associated with the consumption of raw milk sold in vending machines in Italy. The historical national evolution of raw milk consumption phenomenon since 2008, when consumer interest started to grow, and after 7 years of marketing adjustment, is outlined. Exposure assessment was based on the official Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 (STEC) microbiological records of raw milk samples from vending machines monitored by the regional Veterinary Authorities from 2008 to 2014, microbial growth during storage, consumption frequency of raw milk, serving size, consumption preference and age of consumers. The differential risk considered milk handled under regulation conditions (4°C throughout all phases) and the worst time-temperature field handling conditions detected. In case of boiling milk before consumption, we assumed that the risk of HUS is fixed at zero. The model estimates clearly show that the public health significance of HUS cases due to raw milk STEC contamination depends on the current variability surrounding the risk profile of the food and the consumer behaviour has more impact than milk storage scenario. The estimated HUS cases predicted by our model are roughly in line with the effective STEC O157-associated HUS cases notified in Italy only when the proportion of consumers not boiling milk before consumption is assumed to be 1%. Raw milk consumption remains a source of E. coli O157:H7 for humans, but its overall relevance is likely to have subsided and significant caution should be exerted for temporal, geographical and consumers behaviour analysis. Health education programmes and regulatory actions are required to educate people, primarily children, on other STEC sources. © 2016 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

  10. DNA microarray-based assessment of virulence potential of Shiga toxin gene-carrying Escherichia coli O104:H7 isolated from feedlot cattle feces.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pragathi B Shridhar

    Full Text Available Escherichia coli O104:H4, a hybrid pathotype reported in a large 2011 foodborne outbreak in Germany, has not been detected in cattle feces. However, cattle harbor and shed in the feces other O104 serotypes, particularly O104:H7, which has been associated with sporadic cases of diarrhea in humans. The objective of our study was to assess the virulence potential of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC O104:H7 isolated from feces of feedlot cattle using DNA microarray. Six strains of STEC O104:H7 isolated from cattle feces were analyzed using FDA-E. coli Identification (ECID DNA microarray to determine their virulence profiles and compare them to the human strains (clinical of O104:H7, STEC O104:H4 (German outbreak strain, and O104:H21 (milk-associated Montana outbreak strain. Scatter plots were generated from the array data to visualize the gene-level differences between bovine and human O104 strains, and Pearson correlation coefficients (r were determined. Splits tree was generated to analyze relatedness between the strains. All O104:H7 strains, both bovine and human, similar to O104:H4 and O104:H21 outbreak strains were negative for intimin (eae. The bovine strains were positive for Shiga toxin 1 subtype c (stx1c, enterohemolysin (ehxA, tellurite resistance gene (terD, IrgA homolog protein (iha, type 1 fimbriae (fimH, and negative for genes that code for effector proteins of type III secretory system. The six cattle O104 strains were closely related (r = 0.86-0.98 to each other, except for a few differences in phage related and non-annotated genes. One of the human clinical O104:H7 strains (2011C-3665 was more closely related to the bovine O104:H7 strains (r = 0.81-0.85 than the other four human clinical O104:H7 strains (r = 0.75-0.79. Montana outbreak strain (O104:H21 was more closely related to four of the human clinical O104:H7 strains than the bovine O104:H7 strains. None of the bovine E. coli O104 strains carried genes characteristic of E

  11. Characterization of Escherichia coli Phylogenetic Groups ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    tract infection (UTI), bacteremia, pneumonia, soft-tissue infection, and ... Keywords: Drug resistance, Escherichia coli, Extraintestinal infections, Polymerase chain reaction, .... gynecology, 12 from orthopedics and 5 from pediatrics units.

  12. Plasmid-Mediated Quinolone Resistance Genes in Escherichia coli ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Erah

    PMQR) genes and the prevalence of extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) types in Escherichia coli clinical isolates. Methods: Sixty-one ESBL-producing urinary E. coli isolates were studied. An antibiotic susceptibility test was performed ...

  13. Antimicrobial resistance among commensal Escherichia coli from ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Commensal bacteria contribute to the distribution and persistence of antimicrobial resistance in the environment. This study monitored antimicrobial resistance in commensal Escherichia coli from the faeces of on-farm and slaughter cattle and beef. A total of 342 (89.5%) E. coli isolates were obtained from 382 samples.

  14. Antimicrobial resistance among commensal Escherichia coli from ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    user1

    2012-07-19

    Jul 19, 2012 ... Commensal bacteria contribute to the distribution and persistence of antimicrobial resistance in the environment. This study monitored antimicrobial resistance in commensal Escherichia coli from the faeces of on-farm and slaughter cattle and beef. A total of 342 (89.5%) E. coli isolates were obtained.

  15. Assessment of Consumer Exposure to Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp., and Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli in Meat Products at Retail in the City of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ristori, Christiane Asturiano; Rowlands, Ruth Estela Gravato; Martins, Cecília Geraldes; Barbosa, Maria Luisa; Dos Santos, Luis Fernando; Jakabi, Miyoko; de Melo Franco, Bernadette Dora Gombossy

    2017-08-01

    Meat products may be vehicles of bacterial pathogens to humans, and Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp., and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are the most relevant. The aim of this study was to generate data on prevalence of these three pathogens in 552 samples of meat products (hot dogs, pork sausages, raw ground beef, and raw chicken legs) sold at retail in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Salmonella spp. was detected in 5.8% (32/552) of samples, comprising pork sausages 62.5% (20/32) and chicken legs 37.5% (12/32). The counts of Salmonella spp. were low, ranging from Salmonella Typhimurium (28.1%), Salmonella I 4,[5],12:i:- (15.6%), Salmonella Enteritidis (12.5%), Salmonella Derby, and Salmonella Brandenburg (9.4%). Campylobacter spp. was detected in 33 samples (6.0%), comprising chicken legs (82%) and ground beef (18%). All samples were negative for STEC. These results suggest that meat products when subjected to inadequate cooking and/or cross-contamination with other products ready for consumption can lead to occurrence of outbreaks, highlighting the risks associated with them.

  16. Public health hazards in Poland posed by foodstuffs contaminated with [i]E.Coli[/i] O104:H4 bacterium from the recent European out break

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Przemysław Biliński

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Shiga toxin producing [i]Escherichia coli[/i] (STEC are the most virulent diarrhoeagenic [i]E. coli [/i]known to date. They can spread with alarming ease via the food chain, as recently demonstrated by the large outbreak of STEC O104:H4 borne by sprouted seeds in 2011, clustered in northern Germany, and subsequently affecting other countries. Indeed, a significant number of infections to verocytotoxin producing [i]Escherichia coli[/i] O104:H4 have been reported from the WHO European Region resulting in many cases of bloody diarrhoea and haemolytic uraemic syndrome in Germany, 15 other European countries and North America. Eventually, the European Food Standards Agency, (EFSA, identified the likely source to a single consignment of fenugreek seeds from an Egyptian exporter as being linked to the two outbreaks in Germany and France. The situation was closely monitored by the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate public health authority in Poland where actions undertaken ensured that the public was well informed about the dangers of STEC contamination of food, how to avoid infection, and what to do if infected. Tracing the fenugreek distributors also enabled the identification of suspected batches and their isolation. As a result, there were very few reported cases of STEC infection in Poland. Effective control over such outbreaks is therefore a vital public health task. This should include early detection and rapid identification of the contagion mode, followed by removing the foodstuff(s from the market, providing consumer advice, and preventing secondary spreading. As a mitigation measure, screening/monitoring those involved in food handling is also warranted to exclude carriers who can be asymptomatic.

  17. Prevalence and characterization of Escherichia coli isolated from the Upper Oconee Watershed in Northeast Georgia.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sohyun Cho

    Full Text Available Surface waters are important sources of water for drinking, industrial, agricultural, and recreational uses; hence, contamination of water by fecal, pathogenic, or antimicrobial resistant (AR bacteria is a major environmental and public health concern. However, very little data is available on prevalence of these bacteria in surface water throughout a watershed. This study aimed to characterize Escherichia coli present in the Upper Oconee Watershed, a mixed-use watershed in Athens, GA, USA for potential pathogenicity and AR. E. coli were enumerated by colony counts, cultured by enrichment and direct plating, and characterized by phylo-groups, diarrheagenic pathotypes, and antimicrobial susceptibility. From the analysis, 99.3% (455/458 of the total samples were positive for E. coli resulting in 496 isolates. E. coli counts were as high as 1.2×104 CFU/100 ml, which is above the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA threshold for recreational water (235 CFU/100 ml based on a one-time measurement. Phylo-groups B2 (31.7%; 157/496 and B1 (30.8%; 153/496 were the most prevalent among the isolates. Enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC (19/496 and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC (1/496 were the only diarrheagenic pathotypes detected. AR was observed in 6.9% (34/496 of the isolates, 15 of which were multidrug resistant (MDR; resistance to two or more classes of antimicrobials. Tetracycline resistance was most often detected (76.5%; 26/34, followed by ampicillin (32.4%; 11/34, streptomycin (23.5%; 8/34, sulfisoxazole (23.5%; 8/34, and nalidixic acid (14.7%; 5/34. Results from this study showed that E. coli is prevalent in high levels in the Upper Oconee Watershed, suggesting possible widespread fecal contamination. The presence of pathogenic, AR E. coli in the watershed indicates that environmental water can serve as a reservoir of resistant bacteria that may be transferred to humans through drinking and recreational activities.

  18. Prevalence and characterization of Escherichia coli isolated from the Upper Oconee Watershed in Northeast Georgia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cho, Sohyun; Hiott, Lari M; Barrett, John B; McMillan, Elizabeth A; House, Sandra L; Humayoun, Shaheen B; Adams, Eric S; Jackson, Charlene R; Frye, Jonathan G

    2018-01-01

    Surface waters are important sources of water for drinking, industrial, agricultural, and recreational uses; hence, contamination of water by fecal, pathogenic, or antimicrobial resistant (AR) bacteria is a major environmental and public health concern. However, very little data is available on prevalence of these bacteria in surface water throughout a watershed. This study aimed to characterize Escherichia coli present in the Upper Oconee Watershed, a mixed-use watershed in Athens, GA, USA for potential pathogenicity and AR. E. coli were enumerated by colony counts, cultured by enrichment and direct plating, and characterized by phylo-groups, diarrheagenic pathotypes, and antimicrobial susceptibility. From the analysis, 99.3% (455/458) of the total samples were positive for E. coli resulting in 496 isolates. E. coli counts were as high as 1.2×104 CFU/100 ml, which is above the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) threshold for recreational water (235 CFU/100 ml based on a one-time measurement). Phylo-groups B2 (31.7%; 157/496) and B1 (30.8%; 153/496) were the most prevalent among the isolates. Enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) (19/496) and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) (1/496) were the only diarrheagenic pathotypes detected. AR was observed in 6.9% (34/496) of the isolates, 15 of which were multidrug resistant (MDR; resistance to two or more classes of antimicrobials). Tetracycline resistance was most often detected (76.5%; 26/34), followed by ampicillin (32.4%; 11/34), streptomycin (23.5%; 8/34), sulfisoxazole (23.5%; 8/34), and nalidixic acid (14.7%; 5/34). Results from this study showed that E. coli is prevalent in high levels in the Upper Oconee Watershed, suggesting possible widespread fecal contamination. The presence of pathogenic, AR E. coli in the watershed indicates that environmental water can serve as a reservoir of resistant bacteria that may be transferred to humans through drinking and recreational activities.

  19. Strategies for Protein Overproduction in Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mott, John E.

    1984-01-01

    Examines heterologous expression in Escherichia coli and the role of regulatory sequences which control gene expression at transcription resulting in abundant production of messenger RNA and regulatory sequences in mRNA which promote efficient translation. Also examines the role of E. coli cells in stabilizing mRNA and protein that is…

  20. Cancerous patients and outbreak of Escherichia coli: an important issue in oncology

    OpenAIRE

    Joob, Beuy; Wiwanitkit, Viroj

    2014-01-01

    The widespread of the Escherichia coli outbreak in Europe becomes an important public concern at global level. The infection can be serious and might result in death. The retrospective literature review on this specific topic is performed. In this specific brief article, the author presented and discussed on the problem of Escherichia coli infection in the cancerous patients. This is an actual important issue in medical oncology for the scenario of Escherichia coli epidemic.

  1. Infectious endocarditis caused by Escherichia coli

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lauridsen, Trine Kiilerich; Arpi, Magnus; Fritz-Hansen, Thomas

    2011-01-01

    Although Escherichia coli is among the most common causes of Gram-negative bacteraemia, infectious endocarditis (IE) due to this pathogen is rare. A 67-y-old male without a previous medical history presented with a new mitral regurgitation murmur and persisting E. coli bacteraemia in spite of broad......-spectrum intravenous antibiotics. Transthoracic and transoesophageal echocardiography revealed a severe mitral endocarditis. E. coli DNA was identified from the mitral valve and the vegetation, and no other pathogen was found. The case was further complicated by spondylodiscitis and bilateral endophthalmitis. Extra...

  2. Determination of the Thermal Inactivation Kinetics of Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella enterica, and Escherichia coli O157:H7 and non-O157 in Buffer and a Spinach Homogenate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Monu, Emefa Angelica; Valladares, Malcond; D'Souza, Doris H; Davidson, P Michael

    2015-08-01

    Produce has been associated with a rising number of foodborne illness outbreaks. While much produce is consumed raw, some is treated with mild heat, such as blanching or cooking. The objectives of this research were to compare the thermal inactivation kinetics of Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella enterica, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7, and non-O157 STEC in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS; pH 7.2) and a spinach homogenate and to provide an estimate of the safety of mild heat processes for spinach. Five individual strains of S. enterica, L. monocytogenes, STEC O157:H7, and non-O157 STEC were tested in PBS in 2-ml glass vials, and cocktails of the organisms were tested in blended spinach in vacuum-sealed bags. For Listeria and Salmonella at 56 to 60°C, D-values in PBS ranged from 4.42 ± 0.94 to 0.35 ± 0.03 min and 2.11 ± 0.14 to 0.16 ± 0.03 min, respectively. D-values at 54 to 58°C were 5.18 ± 0.21 to 0.53 ± 0.04 min for STEC O157:H7 and 5.01 ± 0.60 to 0.60 ± 0.13 min for non-O157 STEC. In spinach at 56 to 60°C, Listeria D-values were 11.77 ± 2.18 to 1.22 ± 0.12 min and Salmonella D-values were 3.51 ± 0.06 to 0.47 ± 0.06 min. D-values for STEC O157:H7 and non-O157 STEC were 7.21 ± 0.17 to 1.07 ± 0.11 min and 5.57 ± 0.38 to 0.99 ± 0.07 min, respectively, at 56 to 60°C. In spinach, z-values were 4.07 ± 0.16, 4.59 ± 0.26, 4.80 ± 0.92, and 5.22 ± 0.20°C for Listeria, Salmonella, STEC O157:H7, and non-O157 STEC, respectively. Results indicated that a mild thermal treatment of blended spinach at 70°C for less than 1 min would result in a 6-log reduction of all pathogens tested. These findings may assist the food industry in the design of suitable mild thermal processes to ensure food safety.

  3. Translational coupling in Escherichia coli of a heterologous Bacillus subtilis-Escherichia coli gene fusion.

    OpenAIRE

    Zaghloul, T I; Doi, R H

    1986-01-01

    The efficient expression in Escherichia coli of the Tn9-derived chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.28) gene fused distal to the promoter and N terminus of the Bacillus subtilis aprA gene was dependent on the initiation of translation from the ribosome-binding site in the aprA gene.

  4. The Escherichia coli transcriptome linked to growth fitness

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bei-Wen Ying

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available A series of Escherichia coli strains with varied genomic sequences were subjected to high-density microarray analyses to elucidate the fitness-correlated transcriptomes. Fitness, which is commonly evaluated by the growth rate during the exponential phase, is not only determined by the genome but is also linked to growth conditions, e.g., temperature. We previously reported genetic and environmental contributions to E. coli transcriptomes and evolutionary transcriptome changes in thermal adaptation. Here, we describe experimental details on how to prepare microarray samples that truly represent the growth fitness of the E. coli cells. A step-by-step record of sample preparation procedures that correspond to growing cells and transcriptome data sets that are deposited at the GEO database (GSE33212, GSE52770, GSE61739 are also provided for reference. Keywords: Transcriptome, Growth fitness, Escherichia coli, Microarray

  5. Persistence of Pathogenic and Non-Pathogenic Escherichia coli Strains in Various Tropical Agricultural Soils of India.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S Naganandhini

    Full Text Available The persistence of Shiga-like toxin producing E. coli (STEC strains in the agricultural soil creates serious threat to human health through fresh vegetables growing on them. However, the survival of STEC strains in Indian tropical soils is not yet understood thoroughly. Additionally how the survival of STEC strain in soil diverges with non-pathogenic and genetically modified E. coli strains is also not yet assessed. Hence in the present study, the survival pattern of STEC strain (O157-TNAU was compared with non-pathogenic (MTCC433 and genetically modified (DH5α strains on different tropical agricultural soils and on a vegetable growing medium, cocopeat under controlled condition. The survival pattern clearly discriminated DH5α from MTCC433 and O157-TNAU, which had shorter life (40 days than those compared (60 days. Similarly, among the soils assessed, the red laterite and tropical latosol supported longer survival of O157-TNAU and MTCC433 as compared to wetland and black cotton soils. In cocopeat, O157 recorded significantly longer survival than other two strains. The survival data were successfully analyzed using Double-Weibull model and the modeling parameters were correlated with soil physico-chemical and biological properties using principal component analysis (PCA. The PCA of all the three strains revealed that pH, microbial biomass carbon, dehydrogenase activity and available N and P contents of the soil decided the survival of E. coli strains in those soils and cocopeat. The present research work suggests that the survival of O157 differs in tropical Indian soils due to varied physico-chemical and biological properties and the survival is much shorter than those reported in temperate soils. As the survival pattern of non-pathogenic strain, MTCC433 is similar to O157-TNAU in tropical soils, the former can be used as safe model organism for open field studies.

  6. Antibiotic resistance of Verotoxigenic Escherichia coli isolated from vegetables

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    mojtaba boniadian

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Human gastrointestinal disease caused by verotoxigenic Escherichia coli has been diagnosed for recent decades. Escherichia coli O157:H7 is the most important serotype of verotoxigenic Escherichia coli that cause hemolytic uremic syndrome and hemorrhagic colitis in humans. This study was conducted to determine the occurrence of verotoxigenic E. coli and antibiotic resistance of the isolates from vegetables. Materials and methods: A total of 500 fresh vegetable samples were collected randomly from retail shops in Shahrekord, Iran. E. coli was isolated and identified using bacteriological and biochemical tests. PCR method was used to identify the rbfE, stx1, stx2 and eae genes. Also, antibiotic resistance of the isolates was determined by disk diffusion method. Results: The results represented that among 25 isolates possess virulence genes, 40, 12 and 4% of the isolates contained eaeA, STx2, and both genes, respectively. But none of them contained H7, STx1, and rfbE genes. The antibiotic resistance pattern demonstrated that the isolates were highly resistant to Gentamycin and cefotoxime. Discussion and conclusion: The results of this study showed that the presence of verotoxigenic E.coli in vegetables; and high resistance of the isolates to antibiotics could be hazardous for public health.

  7. The propagation of Escherichia Coli and of conservative tracers. A comparison

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alexander, I.; Seiler, K.P.

    1982-01-01

    The propagation of Escherichia Coli (ATCC 11229, Gelsenkirchen) is compared with that of conservative tracers in groundwater. The experiments were performed with injection quantities of 10 7 , 10 8 , 10 10 and 10 11 of Escherichia Coli. Both, bacteria and conservative tracers pass their maximum at the same instant in the observation gauges. With injection quantities of more than 10 8 , the propagation of the Escherichia Coli sets in at the same time as it begins with the dyes. When the quantities range below 10 8 , the propagation begins after that of conservative tracers, because Coli bacteria were measured with a lower degree of detecting sensitivity than the tracers. With Coli injection quantities ranging above 10 10 , an increased filtering of these bacteria can be observed. Coli bacteria propagate more laterally than conservative tracers, however it could not be proved that this lateral propagation depends on the bacteria concentration. (orig.) [de

  8. Revisiting the STEC Testing Approach: Using espK and espV to Make Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) Detection More Reliable in Beef

    OpenAIRE

    Delannoy, Sabine; Chaves, Byron D.; Ison, Sarah A.; Webb, Hattie E.; Beutin, Lothar; Delaval, José; Billet, Isabelle; Fach, Patrick

    2016-01-01

    Current methods for screening Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157 and non-O157 in beef enrichments typically rely on the molecular detection of stx, eae, and serogroup-specific wzx or wzy gene fragments. As these genetic markers can also be found in some non-EHEC strains, a number of ‘false positive’ results are obtained. Here, we explore the suitability of five novel molecular markers, espK, espV, ureD, Z2098, and CRISPRO26:H11 as candidates for a more accurate screening of EHEC s...

  9. 76 FR 20542 - Escherichia coli

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-04-13

    ... beef, Escherichia coli and coliphages were found in chicken, fresh pork, fresh oyster, fresh mushrooms, lettuce, chicken pot pie, biscuit dough, deli loaf, deli roasted turkey, and package roasted chicken... surfaces, and in foods such as ground beef, pork sausage, chicken, oysters, cheese, fresh mushrooms, and...

  10. Multiplex polymerase chain reaction for identification of Escherichia coli, Escherichia albertii and Escherichia fergusonii.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lindsey, Rebecca L; Garcia-Toledo, L; Fasulo, D; Gladney, L M; Strockbine, N

    2017-09-01

    Escherichia coli, Escherichia albertii, and Escherichia fergusonii are closely related bacteria that can cause illness in humans, such as bacteremia, urinary tract infections and diarrhea. Current identification strategies for these three species vary in complexity and typically rely on the use of multiple phenotypic and genetic tests. To facilitate their rapid identification, we developed a multiplex PCR assay targeting conserved, species-specific genes. We used the Daydreamer™ (Pattern Genomics, USA) software platform to concurrently analyze whole genome sequence assemblies (WGS) from 150 Enterobacteriaceae genomes (107 E. coli, 5 Shigella spp., 21 E. albertii, 12 E. fergusonii and 5 other species) and design primers for the following species-specific regions: a 212bp region of the cyclic di-GMP regulator gene (cdgR, AW869_22935 from genome K-12 MG1655, CP014225) for E. coli/Shigella; a 393bp region of the DNA-binding transcriptional activator of cysteine biosynthesis gene (EAKF1_ch4033 from genome KF1, CP007025) for E. albertii; and a 575bp region of the palmitoleoyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP)-dependent acyltransferase (EFER_0790 from genome ATCC 35469, CU928158) for E. fergusonii. We incorporated the species-specific primers into a conventional multiplex PCR assay and assessed its performance with a collection of 97 Enterobacteriaceae strains. The assay was 100% sensitive and specific for detecting the expected species and offers a quick and accurate strategy for identifying E. coli, E. albertii, and E. fergusonii in either a single reaction or by in silico PCR with sequence assemblies. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  11. Epidemiology and clinical manifestations of enteroaggregative Escherichia coli

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hebbelstrup Jensen, Betina; Olsen, Katharina E P; Struve, Carsten

    2014-01-01

    Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) represents a heterogeneous group of E. coli strains. The pathogenicity and clinical relevance of these bacteria are still controversial. In this review, we describe the clinical significance of EAEC regarding patterns of infection in humans, transmission...

  12. Induction of Shiga toxin-converting prophage in Escherichia coli by high hydrostatic pressure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aertsen, Abram; Faster, David; Michiels, Chris W

    2005-03-01

    Since high hydrostatic pressure is becoming increasingly important in modern food preservation, its potential effects on microorganisms need to be thoroughly investigated. In this context, mild pressures (pressures. In this report, we extend this observation to lambdoid Shiga toxin (Stx)-converting bacteriophages in MG1655, which constitute an important virulence trait in Stx-producing E. coli strains (STEC). The window of pressures capable of inducing Stx phages correlated well with the window of bacterial survival. When pressure treatments were conducted in whole milk, which is known to promote bacterial survival, Stx phage induction could be observed at up to 250 MPa in E. coli MG1655 and at up to 300 MPa in a pressure-resistant mutant of this strain. In addition, we found that the intrinsic pressure resistance of two types of Stx phages was very different, with one type surviving relatively well treatments of up to 400 MPa for 15 min at 20 degrees C. Interestingly, and in contrast to UV irradiation or mitomycin C treatment, pressure was not able to induce Stx prophage or an SOS response in several natural Stx-producing STEC isolates.

  13. Investigation of an Escherichia coli O145 outbreak in a child day-care centre - extensive sampling and characterization of eae- and stx1-positive E. coli yields epidemiological and socioeconomic insight

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bruheim Torkjel

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background On October 29th 2009 the health authorities in the city of Trondheim, Norway were alerted about a case of Shiga toxin-positive E. coli (STEC O145 in a child with bloody diarrhoea attending a day-care centre. Symptomatic children in this day-care centre were sampled, thereby identifying three more cases. This initiated an outbreak investigation. Methods A case was defined as a child attending the day-care centre, in whom eae- and stx1- but not stx2-positive E. coli O145:H28 was diagnosed from a faecal sample, with multilocus variable number of tandem repeat analysis (MLVA profile identical to the index isolate. All 61 children, a staff of 14 in the day-care centre, and 74 close contacts submitted faecal samples. Staff and parents were interviewed about cases' exposure to foods and animals. Faecal samples from 31 ewes from a sheep herd to which the children were exposed were analyzed for E. coli O145. Results Sixteen cases were identified, from which nine presented diarrhoea but not haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS. The attack rate was 0.26, and varied between age groups (0.13-0.40 and between the three day-care centre departments (0.20-0.50, and was significantly higher amongst the youngest children. Median duration of shedding was 20 days (0-71 days. Children were excluded from the day-care centre during shedding, requiring parents to take compassionate leave, estimated to be a minimum total of 406 days for all cases. Atypical enteropathogenic E. coli (aEPEC were detected among 14 children other than cases. These isolates were genotypically different from the outbreak strain. Children in the day-care centre were exposed to faecal pollution from a sheep herd, but E. coli O145 was not detected in the sheep. Conclusions We report an outbreak of stx1- and eae-positive STEC O145:H28 infection with mild symptoms among children in a day-care centre. Extensive sampling showed occurrence of the outbreak strain as well as other STEC and

  14. Photoreactivable sector of lethal damage in ultraviolet-irradiated Escherichia coli cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Balgavy, P.

    1976-01-01

    The photoreactivable sector of lethal damage in Escherichia coli Bsub(s-1), Escherichia coli B/r Hcr - and Escherichia coli B/r Hcr + cells after ultraviolet irradiation at 254 nm is 0.823 +- 0.004, 0.70 +- 0.01 and 0.53 +- 0.06, respectively, at 99% confidence limits. For the low values of the photoreactivable sector in the B/r Hcr - and B/r Hcr + strains are likely to be responsible dark repair processes which eliminate lethal damage, brought about by pyrimidine dimers, preferably in comparison with lethal damage caused by photoproducts of another type. (author)

  15. Escherichia coli as a probiotic?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jansen, GJ; Wildeboer-Veloo, ACM; van der Waaij, D; Degener, JE

    1998-01-01

    The influence of oral treatment with a suspension of non-pathogenic Escherichia coli cells (commercially available as: Symbioflor II(R)) on the morphological composition of the gut microflora and on the systemic humoral immune response (the IgG-, IgA- and IgM-isotype) against the bacterial cells in

  16. PENGARUH PERASAN DAUN BELIMBING WULUH (Averrhoa bilimbi TERHADAP PERTUMBUHAN BAKTERI Escherichia coli PATOGEN

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fitrotin Azizah

    2017-12-01

    abstract  (Averrhoa bilimbi is one of the plants that can be used as an antibacterial, good flowers, stems, leaves and stems have benefits and efficacy. Chemical constituents of the leaves starfruit are tannins, flavonoids, saponins. The active ingredient in the leaves starfruit is tannin. Escherichia coli is a bacterium that causes diarrhea. From the above discussion, the authors raised the theme of Influence starfruit juice of the leaves on the growth of pathogenic E. coli bacteria. Formulation of the problem researchers is whether there is influence starfruit juice of the leaves on the growth of Escherichia coli pathogens. This study aims to determine the concentration that could inhibit and kill Esherichia coli Escherichia coli. This research is experimental. The sample used is leaf green starfruit not so young in a fresh state taken in the area around the boarding author Sutorejo 11B stay. In this study, the sample size for each treatment as much as 3 100%, 90%, 80%, 70%, 60%, 50%, 40%, 30%, 20%, 10% and C (control. Independent variables are starfruit juice of the leaves, while the dependent variable growth of Escherichia coli. When the study carried out in January and July 2012. Data on the effect of starfruit juice of the leaves on the growth of Escherichia coli tested by laboratory examination and data collection techniques using Chi-Square 0:05. Based on the results it appears that at a concentration of 100% and 90% were able to kill the bacteria Escherichia coli, whereas the inhibitory power ranging from a concentration of 80%, 70%, 60%, 50%, 40%, 30%, 20%, 10%. From Chi-Square test was obtained λ2 count Escherichia coli pathogenic bacteria. Keyword : Leaves starfruit, E. Coli

  17. Fosfomycin Resistance in Escherichia coli, Pennsylvania, USA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alrowais, Hind; McElheny, Christi L; Spychala, Caressa N; Sastry, Sangeeta; Guo, Qinglan; Butt, Adeel A; Doi, Yohei

    2015-11-01

    Fosfomycin resistance in Escherichia coli is rare in the United States. An extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing E. coli clinical strain identified in Pennsylvania, USA, showed high-level fosfomycin resistance caused by the fosA3 gene. The IncFII plasmid carrying this gene had a structure similar to those found in China, where fosfomycin resistance is commonly described.

  18. Neonatal infections caused by Escherichia coli at the National ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Background: Escherichia coli (E.coli) has been implicated as a common cause of both early and late onset neonatal infections. The emergence of different strains of E.coli that are multiply resistant to commonly used antibiotics has made continuous antibiotics surveillance relevant. Knowledge about common infections ...

  19. neonatal infections caused by escherichia coli at the national

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    boaz

    Background: Escherichia coli (E.coli) has been implicated as a common cause of both early and late onset neonatal infections. The emergence of different strains of E.coli that are multiply resistant to commonly used antibiotics has made continuous antibiotics surveillance relevant. Knowledge about common infections ...

  20. the occurrence of escherichia coli o157:h7 in market and abattoir

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    user

    Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a newly emerging pathogen frequently associated with the consumption of foods of ... KEY WORDS: E. coli O157:H7, Pathogen, Abattoir, Market, and Infections ..... pathogen. Escherichia coli O157:H7 as a model of.

  1. ESCHERICHIA COLI AND STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    DR. AMINU

    ABSTRACT. The bio-effects of the ethanol extracts from the leaf and stem of Momordica charantia were studied with the view to ascertain the medical usefulness ascribed to the plant by the locals. The plant parts, stem and leaf, revealed remarkable activity against Escherichia coli and Staphlococcus aureus. The leaves ...

  2. Conjugal Pairing in Escherichia Coli

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Home; Journals; Resonance – Journal of Science Education; Volume 13; Issue 8. Conjugal Pairing in Escherichia Coli. Joshua Lederberg. Classics Volume 13 Issue 8 August 2008 pp 793-794. Fulltext. Click here to view fulltext PDF. Permanent link: https://www.ias.ac.in/article/fulltext/reso/013/08/0793-0794 ...

  3. Increased multi-drug resistant Escherichia coli from hospitals in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Background: Multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli (MDR E. coli) has become a major public health concern in Sudan and many countries, causing failure in treatment with consequent huge health burden. Objectives: To determine the prevalence and susceptibility of MDR E. coli isolated from patients in hospitals at Khartoum ...

  4. Detergents enhance EspB secretion from Escherichia coli strains harboring the locus for the enterocyte effacement (LEE) gene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakasone, Noboru; Toma, Claudia; Higa, Naomi; Koizumi, Yukiko; Ogura, Yasunori; Suzuki, Toshihiko

    2011-02-01

    The effects of detergents (cholic acid, deoxycholic acid, Triton X-100, and Nonidet P-40) on the secretion of EspB from the locus for enterocyte effacement (LEE) gene-positive Escherichia coli strains were examined. Clinical isolates of eight EPEC strains and seven STEC strains were used to detect EspB after they had been cultivated in Luria-Bertani (LB) broth containing one of the detergents. When the bacteria were cultured in LB broth supplemented with one of the detergents, the amount of EspB produced was increased by 2-32-fold depending on the detergent and the strain used. EspB was detected in all strains when they were cultured in LB broth containing all of the detergents. The results obtained in this study can be applied to immunological diagnostic methods for detecting EspB and also to the production of EspB for research purposes. © 2010 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Short-term evolution of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 between two food-borne outbreaks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cowley, Lauren A; Dallman, Timothy J; Fitzgerald, Stephen; Irvine, Neil; Rooney, Paul J; McAteer, Sean P; Day, Martin; Perry, Neil T; Bono, James L; Jenkins, Claire; Gally, David L

    2016-09-01

    Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7 is a public health threat and outbreaks occur worldwide. Here, we investigate genomic differences between related STEC O157:H7 that caused two outbreaks, eight weeks apart, at the same restaurant. Short-read genome sequencing divided the outbreak strains into two sub-clusters separated by only three single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the core genome while traditional typing identified them as separate phage types, PT8 and PT54. Isolates did not cluster with local strains but with those associated with foreign travel to the Middle East/North Africa. Combined long-read sequencing approaches and optical mapping revealed that the two outbreak strains had undergone significant microevolution in the accessory genome with prophage gain, loss and recombination. In addition, the PT54 sub-type had acquired a 240 kbp multi-drug resistance (MDR) IncHI2 plasmid responsible for the phage type switch. A PT54 isolate had a general fitness advantage over a PT8 isolate in rich medium, including an increased capacity to use specific amino acids and dipeptides as a nitrogen source. The second outbreak was considerably larger and there were multiple secondary cases indicative of effective human-to-human transmission. We speculate that MDR plasmid acquisition and prophage changes have adapted the PT54 strain for human infection and transmission. Our study shows the added insights provided by combining whole-genome sequencing approaches for outbreak investigations.

  6. Detection by hyperspectral imaging of shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli serogroups O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145 on rainbow agar.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Windham, William R; Yoon, Seung-Chul; Ladely, Scott R; Haley, Jennifer A; Heitschmidt, Jerry W; Lawrence, Kurt C; Park, Bosoon; Narrang, Neelam; Cray, William C

    2013-07-01

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety Inspection Service has determined that six non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) serogroups (O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145) are adulterants in raw beef. Isolate and phenotypic discrimination of non-O157 STEC is problematic due to the lack of suitable agar media. The lack of distinct phenotypic color variation among non-O157serogroups cultured on chromogenic agar poses a challenge in selecting colonies for confirmation. In this study, visible and near-infrared hyperspectral imaging and chemometrics were used to detect and classify non-O157 STEC serogroups grown on Rainbow agar O157. The method was first developed by building spectral libraries for each serogroup obtained from ground-truth regions of interest representing the true identity of each pixel and thus each pure culture colony in the hyperspectral agar-plate image. The spectral library for the pure-culture non-O157 STEC consisted of 2,171 colonies, with spectra derived from 124,347 of pixels. The classification models for each serogroup were developed with a k nearest-neighbor classifier. The overall classification training accuracy at the colony level was 99%. The classifier was validated with ground beef enrichments artificially inoculated with 10, 50, and 100 CFU/ml STEC. The validation ground-truth regions of interest of the STEC target colonies consisted of 606 colonies, with 3,030 pixels of spectra. The overall classification accuracy was 98%. The average specificity of the method was 98% due to the low false-positive rate of 1.2%. The sensitivity ranged from 78 to 100% due to the false-negative rates of 22, 7, and 8% for O145, O45, and O26, respectively. This study showed the potential of visible and near-infrared hyperspectral imaging for detecting and classifying colonies of the six non-O157 STEC serogroups. The technique needs to be validated with bacterial cultures directly extracted from meat products and positive

  7. Research on killing Escherichia Coli by reactive oxygen species based on strong ionization discharging plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Y J; Tian, Y P; Zhang, Z T; Li, R H; Cai, L J; Gao, J Y

    2013-01-01

    Reactive oxygen species solution produced by strong ionization discharging plasma was used to kill Escherichia coli by spraying. Several effect factors such as pH value, solution temperature, spraying time and exposure time were observed in this study, and their effects on killing rate of Escherichia coli were discussed and analysed. Results show that the treating efficiency of ROS solution for Escherichia coli is higher in alkaline solution than that in acid solution. The killing rate of Escherichia coli increases while the spraying time and exposure time are longer and the temperature is lower. The effects of different factors on killing rate of Escherichia coli are as follows: spraying time > pH value > exposure time > solution temperature.

  8. Detection and discrimination of five E. coli pathotypes using a combinatory SYBR® Green qPCR screening system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barbau-Piednoir, Elodie; Denayer, Sarah; Botteldoorn, Nadine; Dierick, Katelijne; De Keersmaecker, Sigrid C J; Roosens, Nancy H

    2018-04-01

    A detection and discrimination system for five Escherichia coli pathotypes, based on a combination of 13 SYBR® Green qPCR, has been developed, i.e., combinatory SYBR® Green qPCR screening system for pathogenic E. coli (CoSYPS Path E. coli). It allows the discrimination on isolates and the screening of potential presence in food of the following pathotypes of E. coli: shigatoxigenic (STEC) (including enterohemorrhagic (EHEC)), enteropathogenic (EPEC), enteroaggregative (EAggEC), enteroaggregative shigatoxigenic (EAggSTEC), and enteroinvasive (EIEC) E. coli. The SYBR® Green qPCR assays target the uidA, ipaH, eae, aggR, aaiC, stx1, and stx2 genes. uidA controls for E. coli presence and all the other genes are specific targets of E. coli pathotypes. For each gene, two primer pairs have been designed to guarantee a sufficient detection even in case of deletion or polymorphisms in the target gene. Moreover, all the qPCR have been designed to be run together in a single analytical PCR plate. This study includes the primer pairs' design, in silico and in situ selectivity, sensitivity, repeatability, and reproducibility evaluation of the 13 SYBR® Green qPCR assays. Each target displayed a selectivity of 100%. The limit of detection of the 13 assays is between 1 and 10 genomic copies. Their repeatability and reproducibility comply with the European requirements. As a preliminary feasibility study on food, the CoSYPS Path E. coli system was subsequently evaluated on four food matrices artificially contaminated with pathogenic E. coli. It allowed the detection of an initial contamination level as low as 2 to 7 cfu of STEC/25 g of food matrix after 24 h of enrichment.

  9. Prevalence of Shiga toxin Producing Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica and Listeria monocytogenes at Public Access Watershed Sites in a California Central Coast Agricultural Region

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael B Cooley

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Produce contaminated with enteric pathogens is a major source of foodborne illness in the United States. Lakes, streams, rivers, and ponds were sampled with Moore swabs bi-monthly for over two years at 30 locations in the vicinity of a leafy green growing region on the Central California Coast and screened for Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC, Salmonella enterica, and Listeria monocytogenes to evaluate the prevalence and persistence of pathogen subtypes. The prevalence of STEC from 1,386 samples was 11%; 110 samples (8% contained E. coli O157:H7 with the highest prevalence occurring close to cattle operations. Non-O157 STEC isolates represented major clinical O-types and 57% contained both shiga toxin types 1 and 2 and intimin. Multiple Locus Variable Number Tandem Repeat Analysis of STEC isolates indicated prevalent strains during the period of study. Notably, Salmonella was present at high levels throughout the sampling region with 65% prevalence in 1,405 samples resulting in 996 isolates with slightly lower prevalence in late autumn. There were 2, 8 and 14 sites that were Salmonella-positive over 90%, 80% and 70% of the time, respectively. The serotypes identified most often were 6,8:d:-, Typhimurium, and Give. Interestingly, analysis by Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis indicated persistence and transport of pulsotypes in the region over several years. In this original study of L. monocytogenes in the region prevalence was 43% of 1,405 samples resulting in 635 individual isolates. Over 85% of the isolates belonged to serotype 4b with serotypes 1/2a, 1/2b, 3a, 4d with 4e representing the rest, and there were 12 and 2 sites that were positive over 50% and 80% of the time, respectively. Although surface water is not directly used for irrigation in this region, transport to the produce can occur by other means. This environmental survey assesses initial contamination levels towards an understanding of transport leading to produce

  10. Spread and change in stress resistance of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157 on fungal colonies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Ken-Ichi; Kobayashi, Naoki; Watanabe, Maiko; Sugita-Konishi, Yoshiko; Tsubone, Hirokazu; Kumagai, Susumu; Hara-Kudo, Yukiko

    2014-11-01

    To elucidate the effect of fungal hyphae on the behaviour of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157, the spread and change in stress resistance of the bacterium were evaluated after coculture with 11 species of food-related fungi including fermentation starters. Spread distances of STEC O157 varied depending on the co-cultured fungal species, and the motile bacterial strain spread for longer distances than the non-motile strain. The population of STEC O157 increased when co-cultured on colonies of nine fungal species but decreased on colonies of Emericella nidulans and Aspergillus ochraceus. Confocal scanning microscopy visualization of green fluorescent protein-tagged STEC O157 on fungal hyphae revealed that the bacterium colonized in the water film that existed on and between hyphae. To investigate the physiological changes in STEC O157 caused by co-culturing with fungi, the bacterium was harvested after 7 days of co-culturing and tested for acid resistance. After co-culture with eight fungal species, STEC O157 showed greater acid resistance compared to those cultured without fungi. Our results indicate that fungal hyphae can spread the contamination of STEC O157 and can also enhance the stress resistance of the bacteria. © 2013 The Authors. Microbial Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Society for Applied Microbiology.

  11. ESBL-Producing Escherichia coli

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hertz, Frederik Boetius

    Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one the most common bacterial infections and is regularly treated in primary health care. The most common cause of UTI is extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) already present in the intestinal microflora, often as the dominating strain. Resistance...... in E.coli is increasing and especially isolates producing Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamases (ESBL) have been reported worldwide. Treatment of UTI is usually initiated by the general practitioners and a significant proportion of clinical isolates are now resistant to first line antibiotics. The global...... to investigate (i) antibiotics involved in selection of ESBL-producing E.coli, in an experimental mouse model in vivo, (ii) risk factors for UTI with ESBL-producing E.coli and (iii) to describe the phylogenetic composition of E.coli populations with different resistance patterns. We found that different...

  12. Multiplex PCR Assay for Identification of Human Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli

    OpenAIRE

    Toma, Claudia; Lu, Yan; Higa, Naomi; Nakasone, Noboru; Chinen, Isabel; Baschkier, Ariela; Rivas, Marta; Iwanaga, Masaaki

    2003-01-01

    A multiplex PCR assay for the identification of human diarrheagenic Escherichia coli was developed. The targets selected for each category were eae for enteropathogenic E. coli, stx for Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, elt and est for enterotoxigenic E. coli, ipaH for enteroinvasive E. coli, and aggR for enteroaggregative E. coli. This assay allowed the categorization of a diarrheagenic E. coli strain in a single reaction tube.

  13. lactamases genes among0 Escherichia coli from patients with ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    -lactamases (ESBLs) that mediate resistance to b-lactam drugs among Escherichia coli and other uropathogens have been reported worldwide. However, there is little information on the detection of ESBLs genes in E. coli from patients with ...

  14. Zoonotic Potential and Antibiotic Resistance of Escherichia coli in Neonatal Calves in Uruguay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Umpiérrez, Ana; Bado, Inés; Oliver, Martín; Acquistapace, Sofía; Etcheverría, Analía; Padola, Nora Lía; Vignoli, Rafael; Zunino, Pablo

    2017-09-27

    Escherichia coli is one of the main etiological agents of neonatal calf diarrhea (NCD). The objective of this study was to assess the presence of virulence genes, genetic diversity, and antibiotic resistance mechanisms in E. coli associated with NCD in Uruguay. PCR was used to assess the presence of intimin, Shiga-like toxin, and stable and labile enterotoxin genes. Resistance to fluoroquinolones and oxyimino-cephalosporins was estimated on Müller-Hinton agar plates. Further antibiotic disc-diffusion tests were performed to assess bacterial multi-resistance. The presence of PMQR, ESBL, MCR-1, and integron genes was evaluated. Isolates were typed using ERIC-PCR, and 20 were selected for MLST, adhesion to Hep-2 cells, in vitro biofilm formation, and eukaryotic cytotoxicity. The prevalence of ETEC genes was lower than 3% in each case (estA and elt). Six isolates were EPEC (eae+) and 2 were EHEC/STEC (eae+/stx1+). The results of a diversity analysis showed high genetic heterogenicity among isolates. Additionally, different sequence types, including ST10, ST21, and ST69, were assigned to selected isolates. Thirty-six percent (96/264) of the isolates were fluoroquinolone-resistant, with 61/96 (63.5%) being multidrug-resistant. Additionally, 6 were oxyimino-cephalosporin-resistant. The qnrB, qnrS1, and bla CTX-M-14 genes were detected, whereas no isolates carried the mcr-1 gene. Isolates had the ability to adhere to Hep-2 cells and form biofilms. Only 1 isolate expressed toxins in vitro. E. coli from NCD cases in Uruguay are very diverse, potentially virulent, and may interact with eukaryotic cells. Zoonotic potential, together with resistance traits and the presence of horizontal transfer mechanisms, may play a significant role in infections caused by these microorganisms.

  15. Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli Markers and Phenotypes among Fecal E. coli Isolates Collected from Nicaraguan Infants ▿

    OpenAIRE

    Reyes, Daniel; Vilchez, Samuel; Paniagua, Margarita; Colque-Navarro, Patricia; Weintraub, Andrej; Möllby, Roland; Kühn, Inger

    2010-01-01

    We analyzed the prevalence of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (DEC) markers and common phenotypes in 2,164 E. coli isolates from 282 DEC-positive samples. Enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) and enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC) were very diverse and were not correlated with diarrhea. Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) estA and enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) belonged to a few phenotypes and were significantly correlated with diarrhea.

  16. Escherichia coli growth modeling using neural network | Shamsudin ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    technique that has the ability to predict with efficient and good performance. Using NARX, a highly accurate model was developed to predict the growth of Escherichia coli (E. coli) based on pH water parameter. The multiparameter portable sensor and spectrophotometer data were used to build and train the neural network.

  17. Molecular characterisation of human Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O26 strains: results of an outbreak investigation, Romania, February to August 2016.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Usein, Codruţa-Romaniţa; Ciontea, Adriana Simona; Militaru, Cornelia Mãdãlina; Condei, Maria; Dinu, Sorin; Oprea, Mihaela; Cristea, Daniela; Michelacci, Valeria; Scavia, Gaia; Zota, Lavinia Cipriana; Zaharia, Alina; Morabito, Stefano

    2017-11-01

    IntroductionAt the beginning of 2016, an increase in paediatric haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) cases was observed in Romania. The microbiological investigations allowed isolation of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O26 as the causative agent from most cases. Methods: An enhanced national surveillance of HUS and severe diarrhoea was established across the country following the identification of the first cases and was carried out until August 2016. A total of 15 strains were isolated from 10 HUS and five diarrhoea cases. Strains were characterised by virulence markers (i.e. stx type/subtype, eae , ehxA genes), phylogroup, genetic relatedness and clonality using PCR-based assays, PFGE and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). The first six strains were further characterised by whole genome sequencing (WGS). Results: Five PCR-defined genotypes were distinguished. All strains from HUS cases harboured stx2a and eae , with or without stx1a , while strains from diarrhoea cases carried exclusively stx1a and eae genes. PFGE resolved strains into multiple pulsotypes, compatible with a certain geographic segregation of the cases, and strains were assigned to phylogroup B1 and sequence type (ST) 21. WGS confirmed the results of conventional molecular methods, brought evidence of O26:H11 serotype, and complemented the virulence profiles. Discussion/conclusion: This first description of STEC O26 strains from cases in Romania showed that the isolates belonged to a diverse population. The virulence content of most strains highlighted a high risk for severe outcome in infected patients. Improving the national surveillance strategy for STEC infections in Romania needs to be further considered.

  18. FTIR nanobiosensors for Escherichia coli detection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stefania Mura

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Infections due to enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (Escherichia coli have a low incidence but can have severe and sometimes fatal health consequences, and thus represent some of the most serious diseases due to the contamination of water and food. New, fast and simple devices that monitor these pathogens are necessary to improve the safety of our food supply chain. In this work we report on mesoporous titania thin-film substrates as sensors to detect E. coli O157:H7. Titania films treated with APTES ((3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane and GA (glutaraldehyde were functionalized with specific antibodies and the absorption properties monitored. The film-based biosensors showed a detection limit for E. coli of 1 × 102 CFU/mL, constituting a simple and selective method for the effective screening of water samples.

  19. Hemolytic porcine intestinal Escherichia coli without virulence-associated genes typical of intestinal pathogenic E. coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schierack, Peter; Weinreich, Joerg; Ewers, Christa; Tachu, Babila; Nicholson, Bryon; Barth, Stefanie

    2011-12-01

    Testing 1,666 fecal or intestinal samples from healthy and diarrheic pigs, we obtained hemolytic Escherichia coli isolates from 593 samples. Focusing on hemolytic E. coli isolates without virulence-associated genes (VAGs) typical for enteropathogens, we found that such isolates carried a broad variety of VAGs typical for extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli.

  20. Annual Surveillance Summary: Escherichia coli (E. coli) Infections in the Military Health System (MHS), 2015

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-03-01

    Annual Surveillance Summary: Escherichia coli ( E . coli ) Infections in the Military Health System (MHS...or position of the Department of the Navy, Department of Defense, nor the U.S. Government. i i E . coli in the MHS: Annual Summary 2015 Prepared...March 2017 EpiData Center Department NMCPHC-EDC-TR-187-2017 ii ii E . coli in the MHS: Annual Summary 2015 Prepared March 2017 EpiData

  1. Escherichia coli in broiler chickens with airsacculitis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leandro S. Machado

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT. Machado L.S., do Nascimento E.R., Pereira V.L.A., Abreu D.L.C., Gouvea R. & Santos L.M.M. 2014. [Escherichia coli in broiler chickens with airsacculitis.] Escherichia coli em frangos de corte com aerossaculite. Revista Brasileira de Medicina Veterinária, 36(3:261-265, 2014. Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Pública, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Rua Dr. Vital Brazil Filho 64, Vital Brazil, Niterói, RJ 24230-340, Brazil. E-mail: leandromachadovet@yahoo.com.br The Brazilian poultry industry grows each year and becomes increasingly representative in the production and export of products. The health care with poultry have accompanied and favored this evolution, however, respiratory agents that affect the weight and carcass quality, continue to cause great damage to the poultry industry. Airsacculitis is considered the main cause of total and partial condemnation of carcasses of broilers, and has been attributed to Mycoplasmosis mostly caused by Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG and Mycoplasma synoviae (MS and Escherichia coli. The aim of this study was to relate the positivity of MG / MS and E. coli detected by PCR as a risk factor for airsacculitis in condemnation of broilers in Health Inspection Service. We studied 30 broiler poultry slaughtered in a slaughterhouse under Federal Sanitary Inspection, located in the State of Rio de Janeiro. 30 chickens were randomly collected from different lots and tracheas obtained in each PCR. DNA was extracted by phenol-chloroform method and amplified using pairs of “primer”specific for MG, MS and E. coli. Of the 30 chickens analyzed by PCR, 30% (9/30 had lesions in air sacs. None of the birds showed infection with MG and/or MS PCR, however 33.3% (3/9 birds were positive for airsacculitis iss gene from E.coli. E.coli found in broiler chickens that were negative for mycoplasma airsacculitis, implying the presence of such bacteria may be sufficient

  2. Thioredoxin from Escherichia coli

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Holmgren, A.; Ohlsson, I.; Grankvist, M.L.

    1978-01-01

    A competition radioimmunoassay for Escherichia coli thioredoxin using 125 I-labeled thioredoxin-S 2 and a double antibody technique was developed. The method permits determination of picomole amounts of thioredoxin in crude cell extracts and was used to study the localization of thioredoxin cell fractions. E. coli B was calculated to have approximately 10,000 copies of thioredoxin per cell mainly located in the soluble fraction after separation of the membrane and soluble fractions by gentle lysis and centrifugation. E. coli B tsnC mutants which are defective in the replication of phage T7 DNA in vivo and in vitro were examined for their content of thioredoxin. E. coli B tsnC 7004 contained no detectable level of thioredoxin in cell-free extracts examined under a variety of conditions. The results strongly suggest that tsnC 7004 is a nonsense or deletion mutant. Two other E. coli tsnC mutants, 7007 and 7008, contained detectable levels of thioredoxin in crude extracts as measured by thioredoxin reductase and gave similar immunoprecipitation reactions as the parent strain B/1. By radioimmunoassay incompletely cross-reacting material was present in both strains. These results show that tsnC 7007 and 7008 belong to a type of thioredoxin mutants with missence mutations in the thioredoxin gene affecting the function of thioredoxin as subunit in phage T7 DNA polymerase

  3. Prevalence and characterization of Shiga Toxin-producing and enteropathogenic Escherichia coli in shellfish-harvesting areas and their watersheds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Balière eCharlotte

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available During a two-year study, the presence of Shiga-toxin producing E. coli (STEC and enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC was investigated in shellfish (n=238, seawater (n=12 and surface sediment (n=39 collected from three French coastal shellfish-harvesting areas and freshwaters (n=216 in their watersheds. PCR detection of Shiga toxin- (stx1/stx2 and intimin- (eae genes following enrichment from these samples revealed the presence of least one of the stx genes in 30.3% of shellfish batches, 85.9% of freshwater, 41.7% of seawater, and 28.2% of sediment samples, while the eae gene was observed in 74.8%, 100%, 100%, and 43.6% of shellfish batches, freshwater, seawater, and sediment samples, respectively. Twenty-eight STEC and 89 EPEC strains were isolated and analyzed in order to determine their serotype, phylogroup, and genetic relatedness and to evaluate the presence of the saa and ehxA genes encoding the STEC autoagglutinating adhesin and the enterohemolysin A, respectively. Finally, the ability to form biofilms and antimicrobial susceptibility were investigated for a selection of strains. Eighteen serotypes were identified among the STEC isolates and 57 among the EPEC isolates. A high diversity was observed within these strains, as 79 different PFGE patterns and 48 distinguishable sequence types were identified. Strains were found to belong mainly to phylogroups B1 and B2 and virulence was observed to be low as more than 85% of the strains possessed only stx1, stx2 or eae genes. One STEC and several EPEC strains belonged to three of the five highly pathogenic serogroups (i.e., O26, O103, and O145. The subset of strains tested for their capacity to form biofilms was mainly strongly to moderately adherent and more strains formed a strong biofilm at 18°C than at 30°C. Finally, more than 85% of analyzed strains were found to be sensitive to the 16 tested antibiotics. These data suggest the low risk of human infection by STEC if shellfish from these

  4. Presence and characterization of Escherichia coli virulence genes isolated from diseased pigs in the central region of Argentina

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fernando A. Bessone

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Background: The main pathogen of neonatal and post weaning diarrhea and edema disease (ED is Escherichia coli and pathotypes involved are enterotoxigenic, enteropathogenic, and shiga toxigenic (ETEC, EPEC, and STEC, respectively. Those diseases cause economic loss in pig production. Aim: The aim of this work was to evaluate the presence of strains expressing virulence markers genes and the antibiotic susceptibility profiles of E. coli from clinical cases of post weaning diarrhea and ED in farms in the central area of Argentina. Materials and Methods: Intensive pig farms from the central region of Argentina were sampled. Intestinal mucosa swabs from pigs with diarrhea were taken, seeded on MacConkey agar plates, biochemically typified and tested by polymerase chain reaction (PCR. Antibiograms were made by disk-diffusion method. Results: A total of 54 strains from clinical cases studied showed PCR findings: 88.88% (48/54 expressed at least one gene coding for a virulence factor. Colonization factors found were: 39.58% of strains had F18, 33.33% were F4 and 31.25% adhesin involved in diffuse adherence-I; 29.17%, 25%, and 2.1% expressed LT, STb, and STa, respectively. 25% were STx and 16.67% were eae positive. Only 2.1% were STx2. The most active antibiotics against most strains were gentamicin and ceftiofur, but resistance profiles against many antibiotics were found. Conclusion: High circulation of pathogens strains of E. coli among pigs with diarrhea with an extended antibiotic resistance profile.

  5. ANTIMICIROBIAL SUSCEPTIBILITY PATTERNS OF Escherichia coli ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    DR. AMINU

    A total of 56 and 24 strains of E. coli and Shigella sp. isolated from children less than five years with diarrhoea attending 3 ... parasitic infections, as well as food intolerance, reaction to ..... Escherichia coil 0157:H7 as a model of entry of a new.

  6. Distribution of Diverse Escherichia coli between Cattle and Pasture

    OpenAIRE

    NandaKafle, Gitanjali; Seale, Tarren; Flint, Toby; Nepal, Madhav; Venter, Stephanus N.; Brözel, Volker S.

    2017-01-01

    Escherichia coli is widely considered to not survive for extended periods outside the intestines of warm-blooded animals; however, recent studies demonstrated that E. coli strains maintain populations in soil and water without any known fecal contamination. The objective of this study was to investigate whether the niche partitioning of E. coli occurs between cattle and their pasture. We attempted to clarify whether E. coli from bovine feces differs phenotypically and genotypically from isola...

  7. Improved Detection of Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase (ESBL)-Producing Escherichia coli in Input and Output Samples of German Biogas Plants by a Selective Pre-Enrichment Procedure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schauss, Thorsten; Glaeser, Stefanie P.; Gütschow, Alexandra; Dott, Wolfgang; Kämpfer, Peter

    2015-01-01

    The presence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli was investigated in input (manure from livestock husbandry) and output samples of six German biogas plants in 2012 (one sampling per biogas plant) and two German biogas plants investigated in an annual cycle four times in 2013/2014. ESBL-producing Escherichia coli were cultured by direct plating on CHROMagar ESBL from input samples in the range of 100 to 104 colony forming units (CFU) per g dry weight but not from output sample. This initially indicated a complete elimination of ESBL-producing E. coli by the biogas plant process. Detected non target bacteria were assigned to the genera Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, Bordetella, Achromobacter, Castellaniella, and Ochrobactrum. A selective pre-enrichment procedure increased the detection efficiency of ESBL-producing E. coli in input samples and enabled the detection in five of eight analyzed output samples. In total 119 ESBL-producing E. coli were isolated from input and 46 from output samples. Most of the E. coli isolates carried CTX-M-type and/or TEM-type beta lactamases (94%), few SHV-type beta lactamase (6%). Sixty-four bla CTX-M genes were characterized more detailed and assigned mainly to CTX-M-groups 1 (85%) and 9 (13%), and one to group 2. Phylogenetic grouping of 80 E. coli isolates showed that most were assigned to group A (71%) and B1 (27%), only one to group D (2%). Genomic fingerprinting and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) showed a high clonal diversity with 41 BOX-types and 19 ST-types. The two most common ST-types were ST410 and ST1210. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of 46 selected ESBL-producing E. coli revealed that several isolates were additionally resistant to other veterinary relevant antibiotics and some grew on CHROMagar STEC but shiga-like toxine (SLT) genes were not detected. Resistance to carbapenems was not detected. In summary the study showed for the first time the presence of ESBL-producing E. coli in

  8. Improved detection of extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL-producing Escherichia coli in input and output samples of German biogas plants by a selective pre-enrichment procedure.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thorsten Schauss

    Full Text Available The presence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL-producing Escherichia coli was investigated in input (manure from livestock husbandry and output samples of six German biogas plants in 2012 (one sampling per biogas plant and two German biogas plants investigated in an annual cycle four times in 2013/2014. ESBL-producing Escherichia coli were cultured by direct plating on CHROMagar ESBL from input samples in the range of 100 to 104 colony forming units (CFU per g dry weight but not from output sample. This initially indicated a complete elimination of ESBL-producing E. coli by the biogas plant process. Detected non target bacteria were assigned to the genera Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, Bordetella, Achromobacter, Castellaniella, and Ochrobactrum. A selective pre-enrichment procedure increased the detection efficiency of ESBL-producing E. coli in input samples and enabled the detection in five of eight analyzed output samples. In total 119 ESBL-producing E. coli were isolated from input and 46 from output samples. Most of the E. coli isolates carried CTX-M-type and/or TEM-type beta lactamases (94%, few SHV-type beta lactamase (6%. Sixty-four blaCTX-M genes were characterized more detailed and assigned mainly to CTX-M-groups 1 (85% and 9 (13%, and one to group 2. Phylogenetic grouping of 80 E. coli isolates showed that most were assigned to group A (71% and B1 (27%, only one to group D (2%. Genomic fingerprinting and multilocus sequence typing (MLST showed a high clonal diversity with 41 BOX-types and 19 ST-types. The two most common ST-types were ST410 and ST1210. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of 46 selected ESBL-producing E. coli revealed that several isolates were additionally resistant to other veterinary relevant antibiotics and some grew on CHROMagar STEC but shiga-like toxine (SLT genes were not detected. Resistance to carbapenems was not detected. In summary the study showed for the first time the presence of ESBL-producing E

  9. (ESBL) producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    use

    2011-11-21

    Nov 21, 2011 ... the most common serious bacterial infections in infants ... UTI is a common cause of morbidity .... of ESBL and non-ESBL producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumonia. ... in hospital and community acquired infections.

  10. Antimicrobial susceptibilities of avian Escherichia coli isolates in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Colibacillosis is a poultry disease of economic importance in Iran and all around the world. The aim of this study is to test the antibiotic sensitivity of Escherichia coli strains which were isolated in Tabriz. A total of 100 E. coli strains isolated from avian colibacillosis of 50 farms from 2008 to 2009 in Tabriz, were investigated for ...

  11. PART I. ESCHERICHIA COLI

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sanaa Mahdi Oraibi

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available The presence of Escherichia coli in the air of facilities involved in management and composting of post-slaughter poultry wastes in selected plants of West Western Pomerania region was studied. Measurements were made on four dates in a variety of weather conditions during the year. The study was conducted at 5 objects that differ in the type of waste and the degree of preparation for composting. These were: chemical treatment and preliminary processing plant, liquid wastes reservoir, platform for preparation of materials for composting, storage of biological sediments, and composting facility. Measurement of bacteria count was carried out in accordance with the applicable procedures on selective chromogenic TBX medium. The assays revealed the presence of E. coli at all test objects, but not always on all measurement dates. It has been shown that the presence of E. coli was from 20 to 3047 CFU∙m-3 of air, although the largest quantities were most frequently detected in the air of the building for post-slaughter waste pre-treatment in chemical treatment plant.

  12. Findings of Escherichia coli and Enterococcus spp. in homemade cheese

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tambur Zoran

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available During the period from February until March 2004, 108 samples of soft cheese originating from markets of Pancevo, Subotica and Belgrade were examined. Microbiological analyses of the cheese samples to the presence of Escherichia coli was performed using methods described in the Regulations on methods for performing microbiological analyses and super analyses of consumer articles, while the presence of bacteria Enteroccocus spp. was performed on the dexter agar. From 108 samples of soft cheese from the territories of Pancevo, Belgrade and Subotica were isolated: Enterococcus spp. from 96% and Escherichia coli from 69%, cheese samples. Verocytotoxic E.coli was not isolated from any of the taken cheese samples.

  13. Escherichia coli pyomyositis in an immunocompromised host.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Umesh; Schwan, William R; Agger, William A

    2011-08-01

    Pyomyositis due to Escherichia coli (E. coil) is rarely reported in immunocompromised patients with hematological malignancy. We present a case report of a 34-year-old man who developed E. coli pyomyositis as a complication of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the right hip suggested myofascial infection of the gluteal muscles, and a needle muscle aspiration grew E. coli phylogenetic group B2. The patient responded to intravenous piperacillin/tazobactam followed by prolonged oral levofloxacin. Pyomyositis should be suspected in all immunocompromised patients complaining of muscle pain and may exhibit signs of localized muscle infection. Appropriate antibiotic therapy targeting fluoroquinolone-resistant E. coli should be considered for initial empiric therapy of pyomyositis in immunocompromised patients.

  14. Infectious endocarditis caused by Escherichia coli

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lauridsen, Trine Kiilerich; Arpi, Magnus; Fritz-Hansen, Thomas

    2011-01-01

    Although Escherichia coli is among the most common causes of Gram-negative bacteraemia, infectious endocarditis (IE) due to this pathogen is rare. A 67-y-old male without a previous medical history presented with a new mitral regurgitation murmur and persisting E. coli bacteraemia in spite of broad......-spectrum intravenous antibiotics. Transthoracic and transoesophageal echocardiography revealed a severe mitral endocarditis. E. coli DNA was identified from the mitral valve and the vegetation, and no other pathogen was found. The case was further complicated by spondylodiscitis and bilateral endophthalmitis. Extra......-intestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) are able to colonize tissue outside the gastrointestinal tract and contain a variety of virulence factors that may enable the pathogens to invade and induce infections in the cardiac endothelia. In these cases echocardiography as the imaging technology is of paramount importance...

  15. Mutagenic DNA repair in Escherichia coli

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bridges, B.A.; Sharif, Firdaus

    1986-01-01

    The authors report a study of the misincorporation step in excision proficient umuC Escherichia coli as revealed by delayed photoreversal and show that it parallels the loss of photoreversibility of mutations induced in isogenic umu + bacteria; in both cases the end-point was mutation to streptomycin resistance. (author)

  16. Effect of high pressurized carbon dioxide on Escherichia coli ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Carbon dioxide at high pressure can retard microbial growth and sometimes kill microorganisms depending on values of applied pressure, temperature and exposure time. In this study the effect of high pressurised carbon dioxide (HPCD) on Escherichia coli was investigated. Culture of E. coli was subjected to high ...

  17. Prevalence of Aeromonas species and Escherichia coli in stool ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Background: Diarrhoea is one of the main causes of mortality and morbidity in childhood. Bacterial diarrhoea is a common disorder. Aeromonas species and Escherichia coli (E. coli) are some of the aetiological agents associated with diarrhoea in children. Objective: To determine the prevalence of Aeromonas species and ...

  18. Detection of Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase-Producing Escherichia coli in Market-Ready Chickens in Zambia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chishimba, K; Hang'ombe, B M; Muzandu, K; Mshana, S E; Matee, M I; Nakajima, C; Suzuki, Y

    2016-01-01

    The frequent administering of antibiotics in the treatment of poultry diseases may contribute to emergence of antimicrobial-resistant strains. The objective of this study was to detect the presence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase- (ESBL-) producing Escherichia coli in poultry in Zambia. A total of 384 poultry samples were collected and analyzed for ESBL-producing Escherichia coli. The cultured E. coli isolates were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility tests and the polymerase chain reaction for detection of bla CTX-M, bla SHV, and bla TEM genes. Overall 20.1%, 77/384, (95% CI; 43.2-65.5%) of total samples analyzed contained ESBL-producing Escherichia coli. The antimicrobial sensitivity test revealed that 85.7% (66/77; CI: 75.7-92) of ESBL-producing E. coli isolates conferred resistance to beta-lactam and other antimicrobial agents. These results indicate that poultry is a potential reservoir for ESBL-producing Escherichia coli. The presence of ESBL-producing Escherichia coli in poultry destined for human consumption requires strengthening of the antibiotic administering policy. This is important as antibiotic administration in food animals is gaining momentum for improved animal productivity in developing countries such as Zambia.

  19. Detection of Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase-Producing Escherichia coli in Market-Ready Chickens in Zambia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K. Chishimba

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The frequent administering of antibiotics in the treatment of poultry diseases may contribute to emergence of antimicrobial-resistant strains. The objective of this study was to detect the presence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase- (ESBL- producing Escherichia coli in poultry in Zambia. A total of 384 poultry samples were collected and analyzed for ESBL-producing Escherichia coli. The cultured E. coli isolates were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility tests and the polymerase chain reaction for detection of blaCTX-M, blaSHV, and blaTEM genes. Overall 20.1%, 77/384, (95% CI; 43.2–65.5% of total samples analyzed contained ESBL-producing Escherichia coli. The antimicrobial sensitivity test revealed that 85.7% (66/77; CI: 75.7–92 of ESBL-producing E. coli isolates conferred resistance to beta-lactam and other antimicrobial agents. These results indicate that poultry is a potential reservoir for ESBL-producing Escherichia coli. The presence of ESBL-producing Escherichia coli in poultry destined for human consumption requires strengthening of the antibiotic administering policy. This is important as antibiotic administration in food animals is gaining momentum for improved animal productivity in developing countries such as Zambia.

  20. Synergistic effects in mixed Escherichia coli biofilms

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Reisner, A.; Holler, B.M.; Molin, Søren

    2006-01-01

    Bacterial biofilms, often composed of multiple species and genetically distinct strains, develop under complex influences of cell-cell interactions. Although detailed knowledge about the mechanisms underlying formation of single-species laboratory biofilms has emerged, little is known about...... the pathways governing development of more complex heterogeneous communities. In this study, we established a laboratory model where biofilm-stimulating effects due to interactions between genetically diverse strains of Escherichia coli were monitored. Synergistic induction of biofilm formation resulting from...... the cocultivation of 403 undomesticated E. coli strains with a characterized E. coli K-12 strain was detected at a significant frequency. The survey suggests that different mechanisms underlie the observed stimulation, yet synergistic development of biofilm within the subset of E. coli isolates (n = 56) exhibiting...

  1. Multiple-Resistant Commensal Escherichia Coli from Nigerian ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Purpose: The antimicrobial susceptibility and virulence traits of 150 strains of Escherichia coli ... and ethical approval was obtained from the Health .... persist in the guts by virtue of the ability of such ... cases of diarrhoea in Ile-Ife and environs.

  2. Synthesis and processing of escherichia-coli tem-beta-lactamase and bacillus-licheniformis alpha-amylase in escherichia-coli : The role of signal peptidase-i

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Dijl, J M; Smith, H; Bron, Sierd; Venema, Gerard

    A mutant of Escherichia coli, in which signal peptidase I synthesis can be regulated, was constructed. The mutant was used to study the effects of signal peptidase I limitation on the synthesis and efficiency of processing of two proteins: the periplasmic E. coli TEM-beta-lactamase and Bacillus

  3. SYNTHESIS AND PROCESSING OF ESCHERICHIA-COLI TEM-BETA-LACTAMASE AND BACILLUS-LICHENIFORMIS ALPHA-AMYLASE IN ESCHERICHIA-COLI : THE ROLE OF SIGNAL PEPTIDASE-I

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Dijl, J M; SMITH, H; BRON, S; VENEMA, G

    A mutant of Escherichia coli, in which signal peptidase I synthesis can be regulated, was constructed. The mutant was used to study the effects of signal peptidase I limitation on the synthesis and efficiency of processing of two proteins: the periplasmic E. coli TEM-beta-lactamase and Bacillus

  4. Metagenomic Characterization of the Human Intestinal Microbiota in Fecal Samples from STEC-Infected Patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Federica Gigliucci

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available The human intestinal microbiota is a homeostatic ecosystem with a remarkable impact on human health and the disruption of this equilibrium leads to an increased susceptibility to infection by numerous pathogens. In this study, we used shotgun metagenomic sequencing and two different bioinformatic approaches, based on mapping of the reads onto databases and on the reconstruction of putative draft genomes, to investigate possible changes in the composition of the intestinal microbiota in samples from patients with Shiga Toxin-producing E. coli (STEC infection compared to healthy and healed controls, collected during an outbreak caused by a STEC O26:H11 infection. Both the bioinformatic procedures used, produced similar result with a good resolution of the taxonomic profiles of the specimens. The stool samples collected from the STEC infected patients showed a lower abundance of the members of Bifidobacteriales and Clostridiales orders in comparison to controls where those microorganisms predominated. These differences seemed to correlate with the STEC infection although a flexion in the relative abundance of the Bifidobacterium genus, part of the Bifidobacteriales order, was observed also in samples from Crohn's disease patients, displaying a STEC-unrelated dysbiosis. The metagenomics also allowed to identify in the STEC positive samples, all the virulence traits present in the genomes of the STEC O26 that caused the outbreak as assessed through isolation of the epidemic strain and whole genome sequencing. The results shown represent a first evidence of the changes occurring in the intestinal microbiota of children in the course of STEC infection and indicate that metagenomics may be a promising tool for the culture-independent clinical diagnosis of the infection.

  5. Metagenomic Characterization of the Human Intestinal Microbiota in Fecal Samples from STEC-Infected Patients

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gigliucci, Federica; von Meijenfeldt, F. A. Bastiaan; Knijn, Arnold; Michelacci, Valeria; Scavia, Gaia; Minelli, Fabio; Dutilh, Bas E.; Ahmad, Hamideh M.; Raangs, Gerwin C.; Friedrich, Alex W.; Rossen, John W. A.; Morabito, Stefano

    2018-01-01

    The human intestinal microbiota is a homeostatic ecosystem with a remarkable impact on human health and the disruption of this equilibrium leads to an increased susceptibility to infection by numerous pathogens. In this study, we used shotgun metagenomic sequencing and two different bioinformatic approaches, based on mapping of the reads onto databases and on the reconstruction of putative draft genomes, to investigate possible changes in the composition of the intestinal microbiota in samples from patients with Shiga Toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) infection compared to healthy and healed controls, collected during an outbreak caused by a STEC O26:H11 infection. Both the bioinformatic procedures used, produced similar result with a good resolution of the taxonomic profiles of the specimens. The stool samples collected from the STEC infected patients showed a lower abundance of the members of Bifidobacteriales and Clostridiales orders in comparison to controls where those microorganisms predominated. These differences seemed to correlate with the STEC infection although a flexion in the relative abundance of the Bifidobacterium genus, part of the Bifidobacteriales order, was observed also in samples from Crohn's disease patients, displaying a STEC-unrelated dysbiosis. The metagenomics also allowed to identify in the STEC positive samples, all the virulence traits present in the genomes of the STEC O26 that caused the outbreak as assessed through isolation of the epidemic strain and whole genome sequencing. The results shown represent a first evidence of the changes occurring in the intestinal microbiota of children in the course of STEC infection and indicate that metagenomics may be a promising tool for the culture-independent clinical diagnosis of the infection. PMID:29468143

  6. Changes in Escherichia coli resistance to co-trimoxazole in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    In Thyolo district, Malawi, an operational research study is being conducted on the efficacy and feasibility of co-trimoxazole prophylaxis in preventing deaths in HIV-positive patients with tuberculosis (TB). A series of cross-sectional studies were carried out to determine i) whether faecal Escherichia coli (E.coli) resistance to ...

  7. Bacteraemia Caused by Escherichia Coli in Cancer Patients at a Specialist Center in Pakistan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Parveen, A.; Sultan, F.; Saleem, S.; Nazeer, S. H.; Raza, A.; Zafar, W.; Nizamuddin, S.; Mahboob, A.

    2015-01-01

    Objective: To analyse the antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of Escherichia coli bacteraemia among cancer patients, and to assess the risk factors and outcomes of multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli bacteraemia. Methods: The retrospective study was conducted at Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore, and comprised medical records of patients with Escherichia coli bacteraemia presenting between December 2012 and November 2013. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to determine the factors associated with the development and 30-day mortality of multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli bacteraemia. Results: Out of 1603 episodes of bacteraemia, 227(35.6 percent) were caused by E.coli, of which 98(43.2 percent) were multidrug-resistant. In multivariable analysis, age less than 18 years (adjusted odds ratio 3.92; 95 percent confidence interval 1.43-10.68), presence of central venous catheter (adjusted odds ratio 2.12; 95 percent confidence interval 1.04-4.33) and exposure to piperacillin/tazobactam within 90 days prior to infection (adjusted odds ratio 2.37; 95 percent confidence interval 1.15-4.86) were identified as independent risk factors for acquisition of multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli bacteraemia. The overall 30 day mortality rate was 35.2 percent (80/227). Risk factors for mortality were intensive care unit admission (adjusted odds ratio 3.95; 95 percent confidence interval 1.79-8.71) and profound neutropenia (adjusted odds ratio 4.03; 95 percent confidence interval 1.55-10.49). Conclusion: Bloodstream infections with multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli were common in cancer patients. However it was not a predictor of mortality. (author)

  8. Isolation and genomic characterization of Escherichia coli O157:NM ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Human diseases caused by Escherichia coli O157:NM and E. coli O157:H7 strains have been reported throughout the world. In developed countries, serotype O157:H7 represents the major cause of human diseases; however, there have been increasing reports of non-O157 Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing E. coli strains ...

  9. Escherichia coli. A sanitary methodology for faecal water pollution tests; Escherichia coli nelle acque. Significato sanitario e metodologie di analisi

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bonadonna, L. [Istituto Superiore di Sanita' , Rome (Italy)

    2001-02-01

    Among the traditional indictors of faecal water pollution, Escherichia coli has shown to fit better with the definition of indicator organism. Till now its recovery has been time-consuming and needs confirmation tests. In this report more rapid and direct methods, based on enzymatic reactions, are presented. [Italian] Per talune peculiari caratteristiche, Escherichia coli sembra meglio soddisfare i requisiti insiti nella definizione di organismo indicatore, rispetto ai tradizionali indicatori di contaminazione fecale dell'acqua. Finora, i substrati disponibili per il suo rilevamento necessitano tutti di almeno una prova di conferma. Di qui l'esigenza di indicare metodi di rilevamento a riposta piu' rapida, anche in relazione all'inserimento, nelle piu' recenti normative nazionali ed europee, del microrganismo tra i parametri microbiologici da ricercare.

  10. Predictors Of Non-Escherichia Coli Urinary Tract Infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shaikh, Nader; Wald, Ellen R; Keren, Ron; Gotman, Nathan; Ivanova, Anastasia; Carpenter, Myra A; Moxey-Mims, Marva; Hoberman, Alejandro

    2016-11-01

    We aimed to determine which children are prone to non-Escherichia coli urinary tract infection (UTIs). We included 769 children with UTI. We found that circumcised males, Hispanic children, children without fever and children with grades 3 and 4 vesicoureteral reflux were more likely to have a UTI caused by organisms other than E. coli. This information may guide clinicians in their choice of antimicrobial therapy.

  11. Photoreactivating enzyme from Escherichia coli

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Snapka, R.M.; Fuselier, C.O.

    1977-01-01

    Escherichia coli photoreactivating enzyme (PRE) has been purified in large amounts from an E.coli strain lysogenic for a defective lambda bacteriophage carrying the phr gene. The resulting enzyme had a pH optimum of 7.2 and an ionic strength optimum of 0.18. It consisted of an apoprotein and cofactor, both of which were necessary for catalytic activity. The apoprotein had a monomer molecular weight of 35,200 and showed stable aggregates under denaturing conditions. The amino acid analysis of the E.coli enzyme was very similar to that of the photoreactivating enzyme from orchid seedlings (Cattelya aurantiaca). Both had arginine at the amino terminus. The cofactor, like the holoenzyme, showed absorption, magnetic circular dichroism, and emission properties indicative of an adenine moiety. Although the isolated enzyme had an action spectrum which peaked at about 360 nm, neither the cofactor, apoenzyme nor holoenzyme showed any detectable absorption between 300 and 400 nm. (author)

  12. Photoreactivating enzyme from Escherichia coli

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Snapka, R M; Fuselier, C O [California Univ., Irvine (USA)

    1977-05-01

    Escherichia coli photoreactivating enzyme (PRE) has been purified in large amounts from an E.coli strain lysogenic for a defective lambda bacteriophage carrying the phr gene. The resulting enzyme had a pH optimum of 7.2 and an ionic strength optimum of 0.18. It consisted of an apoprotein and cofactor, both of which were necessary for catalytic activity. The apoprotein had a monomer molecular weight of 35,200 and showed stable aggregates under denaturing conditions. The amino acid analysis of the E.coli enzyme was very similar to that of the photoreactivating enzyme from orchid seedlings (Cattelya aurantiaca). Both had arginine at the amino terminus. The cofactor, like the holoenzyme, showed absorption, magnetic circular dichroism, and emission properties indicative of an adenine moiety. Although the isolated enzyme had an action spectrum which peaked at about 360 nm, neither the cofactor, apoenzyme nor holoenzyme showed any detectable absorption between 300 and 400 nm.

  13. Vaginal Lactobacillus isolates inhibit uropathogenic Escherichia coli.

    OpenAIRE

    Atassi , Fabrice; Brassart , Dominique; Grob , Philipp; Graf , Federico; Servin , Alain ,

    2006-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the antibacterial activities of Lactobacillus jensenii KS119.1 and KS121.1, and Lactobacillus gasserii KS120.1 and KS124.3 strains isolated from the vaginal microflora of healthy women, against uropathogenic, diffusely adhering Afa/Dr Escherichia coli (Afa/Dr DAEC) strains IH11128 and 7372 involved in recurrent cystitis. We observed that some of the Lactobacillus isolates inhibited the growth and decreased the viability of E. coli IH11128 and 7372....

  14. Identification of serotypes and virulence markers of Escherichia coli isolated from human stool and urine samples in Egypt

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K M Osman

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: Haemorrhagic colitis and haemolytic-uremic syndrome are associated with Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC. There are others DEC (Diarrhoeagenic E. coli pathotypes responsible for outbreaks and others toxins associated to these. Most clinical signs of disease arise as a consequence of the production of Shiga toxin 1 (Stx1, Stx2 or combinations of these toxins. Other major virulence factors include E. coli haemolysin (hlyA, and intimin, the product of the eaeA gene that is involved in the attaching and effacing adherence phenotype. Materials and Methods: In this study, the PCR assay was used to detect 12 E. coli genes associated with virulence (stx1, stx2, hylA, Flic h7 , stb, F41, K99, sta, F17, LT-I, LT-II and eaeA. Results: A total of 108 E. coli strains were serotyped into 64 typable strains. The investigated strains from the stool, 8/80 (10% strains were O 164:K, while the 56/110 strains isolated from the urine were O126:K71 (44/110, 40% and O 86:K 61 (12/110, 11%. The distribution pattern of the detected virulence genes was observed to be in the following order: F17 (10% from the stool and 44% from the urine, Sta (10% from the stool, hylA (10% from the stool and 44% from the urine, Stb (44% from the urine and stx1 (27% from the urine. The 8 faecal strains encoded a combination of the F17, Sta and hylA genes, while the 56 urine strains encoded a combination of the F17 0+ Stb + hylA (44/110, 40% and Stx1 only (12/60, 20%. Conclusion: This is the first report on the molecular characterization of E. coli diarrhoeagenic strains in Egypt and the first report on the potential role of E. coli in diarrhoea and urinary tract infections in a localized geographic area where the people engage in various occupational activities.

  15. Presence of faecal coliforms, Escherichia coli and diarrheagenic E. coli pathotypes in ready-to-eat salads, from an area where crops are irrigated with untreated sewage water.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castro-Rosas, Javier; Cerna-Cortés, Jorge F; Méndez-Reyes, Eligio; Lopez-Hernandez, Daniel; Gómez-Aldapa, Carlos A; Estrada-Garcia, Teresa

    2012-05-15

    Consumption of ready-to-eat (RTE) salads has increased worldwide. Consequently, the number of outbreaks caused by food-borne pathogens, including diarrheagenic E. coli pathotypes (DEPs), associated with the consumption of RTE-salads has increased. DEPs include enterotoxigenic (ETEC), typical and atypical enteropathogenic (tEPEC, aEPEC), enteroinvasive (EIEC), enteroaggregative (EAEC), diffuse adherent (DAEC) and Shiga toxin-producing (STEC) E. coli. In less-developed areas of the world, fresh crops continue to be irrigated with untreated sewage water. The aims of this study were to evaluate the microbiological quality and prevalence of DEPs in RTE-salads of raw vegetables, purchased from restaurants at Pachuca-City, Hidalgo, Mexico, where most locally consumed vegetables are irrigated with untreated sewage water. A total of 130 salads were purchased from restaurants of three categories: A) national chain restaurants and B) local restaurants, both with the H distinctive (a recognition that the Secretary of Tourism grants to restaurants that manage supplies with high levels of hygiene); and C) local small inexpensive restaurants without H distinctive. A total of 6 restaurants were included, 2 per category (A(1-2), B(1-2), C(1-2)). Each sample was tested for the presence of faecal coliforms (FC) and E. coli by standard procedures. E. coli strains were further characterized for the presence of DEPs loci by two multiplex polymerase chain reactions. Among the 130 salad samples 99% (129) were contaminated with FC; 85% (110/129) harboured E. coli and 7% (8/110) DEPs. The amount of positive salad samples for FC and E. coli was similar between restaurants and categories. The FC mean (571 FC/g) of all samples was significantly higher (p<0.001) than the E. coli mean (63 E. coli/g). A weak correlation of 7.7% (r(2)=0.077, p=0.003) between median FC and E. coli MPN (most probable number) per sample was found. Of the 8 salad samples contaminated with DEPs, 2 were spinach salads

  16. Growth modeling of uropathogenic Escherichia coli in ground chicken meat

    Science.gov (United States)

    Extraintestinal Pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC), including Uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC), are common contaminants in poultry meat, and are a major pathogen associated with inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis, sepsis, and urinary tract infections. The purpose of this study was to determ...

  17. Detection and isolation of the "Top 7" Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in ground beef: comparison of the Rapidfinder kits to the USDA microbiology laboratory guidebook method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) O157:H7 and serogroups O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145 are often referred to as the “top 7” STEC, and these have been declared as adulterants in beef by the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). The aim of this work was to compare the methods des...

  18. (ESBL) producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Emerging antibiotic resistance due to extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) production limited the use of β-lactam antibiotics against Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. This observational study was conducted at the Microbiology department of the Children's Hospital, Lahore Pakistan, from June, 2009 to ...

  19. Antibiotic resistance properties of uropathogenic Escherichia coli ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Purpose: To investigate the antibiotic resistance pattern of uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) strains isolated from pregnant women with history of recurrent urinary tract infections (RUTIs) and healthy pregnant women. Methods: A total of 485 high vaginal swab specimens were collected from pregnant women with ...

  20. Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli and acute and persistent diarrhea in returned travelers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schultsz, C.; van den Ende, J.; Cobelens, F.; Vervoort, T.; van Gompel, A.; Wetsteyn, J. C.; Dankert, J.

    2000-01-01

    To determine the role of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli in acute and persistent diarrhea in returned travelers, a case control study was performed. Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) was detected in stool samples from 18 (10.7%) of 169 patients and 4 (3.7%) of 108 controls. Enteroaggregative E. coli

  1. Hydrogen production by recombinant Escherichia coli strains

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maeda, Toshinari; Sanchez‐Torres, Viviana; Wood, Thomas K.

    2012-01-01

    Summary The production of hydrogen via microbial biotechnology is an active field of research. Given its ease of manipulation, the best‐studied bacterium Escherichia coli has become a workhorse for enhanced hydrogen production through metabolic engineering, heterologous gene expression, adaptive evolution, and protein engineering. Herein, the utility of E. coli strains to produce hydrogen, via native hydrogenases or heterologous ones, is reviewed. In addition, potential strategies for increasing hydrogen production are outlined and whole‐cell systems and cell‐free systems are compared. PMID:21895995

  2. Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistance in Escherichia coli Isolated from Poultry Meat Supply in Isfahan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Farhad Safarpordehkordi

    2014-08-01

    Conclusions: Despite the high contamination rate of chicken meat with Escherichia coli, majority of isolates had high resistance to common antibiotics. Complete cooking of meat and avoid indiscriminate prescribing of antibiotics, preventing the occurrence of food poisoning due to resistant Escherichia coli.

  3. Difference in melting profiles of gamma irradiated DNA from chicken erythrocytes and from Escherichia coli B/r

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kopff, J.; Miller, G.; Leyko, W.

    1977-01-01

    Effects of gamma irradiation on melting curves of DNA from chicken erythrocytes and Escherichia coli B/r were compared. Considerable changes, following gamma irradiation in the case of chicken erythrocytes DNA and no changes in the case of DNA from Escherichia coli B/r were observed. To explain the lack of changes in gamma irradiated samples of DNA from Escherichia coli B/r it was assumed that the original effects of irradiation were obscured by the process of renaturation of DNA. To exclude the above mentioned effect, examination of gamma irradiated DNA from Escherichia coli B/r was carried out with the addition of formaldehyde immediately after irradiation of the sample. Using this procedure changes of melting profiles of DNA from Escherichia coli B/r were demonstrated. (author)

  4. [Active etiological surveillance for foodborne diseases in Guangdong province, 2013-2014

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ke, B. X.; He, D. M.; Tan, H. L.; Zeng, H. H.; Yang, T.; Li, B. S.; Liang, Y. H.; Lu, L. L.; Liang, J. H.; Huang, Q.; Ke, C. W.

    2016-01-01

    Objective: To study the infection status, serotypes, drug resistance and molecular characteristics of Salmonella, Shigella, Vibrio parahemolyticus, enterotoxigenic Escherichia (E.) coli (ETEC), pathogenic E. coli (EPEC), Shiga Toxin producing E. coli (STEC) and Enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC)

  5. Expression of green fluorescent protein (GFPuv) in Escherichia coli ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Administrator

    The recombinant green fluorescent protein (GFPuv) was expressed by transformed cells of Escherichia coli DH5-α grown in LB/amp broth at 37oC, for 8 h and 24 h. To evaluate the effectiveness of different parameters to improve the expression of GFPuv by E. coli, four variable culturing conditions were set up for assays by ...

  6. Actualización en el tratamiento del síndrome urémico hemolítico endémico: Patogénesis y tratamiento de la complicación sistémica más grave de las infecciones por Escherichia coli productor de toxina Shiga Update on the treatment of endemic hemolytic uremic syndrome: Pathogenesis and treatment of the most severe systemic complication of infections by Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Romina J. Fernández-Brando

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available La forma típica o post-diarreica del síndrome urémico hemolítico (SUH es la complicación más grave de las infecciones por cepas de Escherichia coli productoras de toxina Shiga (STEC. En la Argentina el SUH es un problema crítico de salud pública, ya que representa la principal causa de falla renal aguda en la infancia, la segunda causa de falla renal crónica, y aporta el 20% de los casos de transplante renal durante la infancia y la adolescencia. A pesar de los avances en el conocimiento de su patogénesis, el único tratamiento actual de los pacientes con SUH es de sostén, y no existen terapias específicas ni preventivas. En la presente revisión expondremos los conocimientos básicos de los mecanismos patogénicos y discutiremos los enfoques terapéuticos tradicionales e innovadores, con especial foco en la situación nacional y los aportes hechos por grupos de la Argentina.The typical form of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS is the major complication of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC infections. HUS is a critical health problem in Argentina since it is the main cause of acute renal failure in children and the second cause of chronic renal failure, giving account for 20% of renal transplants in children and adolescents in our country. In spite of the extensive research in the field, the mainstay of treatment for patients with HUS is supportive therapy, and there are no specific therapies preventing or ameliorating the disease course. In this review, we present the current knowledge about pathogenic mechanisms and discuss traditional and innovative therapeutic approaches, with special focus in national status and contributions made by Argentinean groups.

  7. Optimization of plasmid electrotransformation into Escherichia coli ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    In order to improve electroporation, optical density of bacteria, recovery time and electrical parameter (field strength and capacitance) were optimized using the Taguchi statistical method. ANOVA of obtained data indicated that the optimal conditions of electrotransformation of pET-28a (+) plasmid into Escherichia coli ...

  8. Hemolytic Porcine Intestinal Escherichia coli without Virulence-Associated Genes Typical of Intestinal Pathogenic E. coli ▿ †

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schierack, Peter; Weinreich, Joerg; Ewers, Christa; Tachu, Babila; Nicholson, Bryon; Barth, Stefanie

    2011-01-01

    Testing 1,666 fecal or intestinal samples from healthy and diarrheic pigs, we obtained hemolytic Escherichia coli isolates from 593 samples. Focusing on hemolytic E. coli isolates without virulence-associated genes (VAGs) typical for enteropathogens, we found that such isolates carried a broad variety of VAGs typical for extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli. PMID:21965399

  9. Environmental Escherichia coli: Ecology and public health implications - A review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jang, Jeonghwan; Hur, Hor-Gil; Sadowsky, Michael J.; Byappanahalli, Muruleedhara; Yan, Tao; Ishii, Satoshi

    2017-01-01

    Escherichia coli is classified as a rod-shaped, Gram-negative bacterium in the family Enterobacteriaceae. The bacterium mainly inhabits the lower intestinal tract of warm-blooded animals, including humans, and is often discharged into the environment through feces or wastewater effluent. The presence of E. coli in environmental waters has long been considered as an indicator of recent fecal pollution. However, numerous recent studies have reported that some specific strains of E. coli can survive for long periods of time, and potentially reproduce, in extra-intestinal environments. This indicates that E. coli can be integrated into indigenous microbial communities in the environment. This naturalization phenomenon calls into question the reliability of E. coli as a fecal indicator bacterium (FIB). Recently, many studies reported that E. coli populations in the environment are affected by ambient environmental conditions affecting their long-term survival. Large-scale studies of population genetics provide the diversity and complexity of E. coli strains in various environments, affected by multiple environmental factors. This review examines the current knowledge on the ecology of E. coli strains in various environments in regards to its role as a FIB and as a naturalized member of indigenous microbial communities. Special emphasis is given on the growth of pathogenic E. coli in the environment, and the population genetics of environmental members of the genus Escherichia. The impact of environmental E. coli on water quality and public health is also discussed.

  10. FimH-mediated autoaggregation of Escherichia coli

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schembri, Mark; Christiansen, G.; Klemm, Per

    2001-01-01

    Autoaggregation is a phenomenon thought to contribute to colonization of mammalian hosts by pathogenic bacteria. Type 1 fimbriae are surface organelles of Escherichia coli that mediate D-mannose-sensitive binding to various host surfaces. This binding is conferred by the minor fimbrial component...... FimH. In this study, we have used random mutagenesis to identify variants of the FimH adhesin that confer the ability of E. coli to autoaggregate and settle from liquid cultures. Three separate autoaggregating clones were identified, all of which contained multiple amino acid changes located within...

  11. Inhibition of Escherichia Coli, Salmonella and Staphylococcus ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella typhimurium and Staphylococcus. aureus are of great concern to the food industry, especially in foods stored under refrigerated conditions where, unlike most food-borne pathogens are able to multiply. This investigation was conducted to study the inhibitory effect of some spice ...

  12. Prevalence of Arcobacter, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    In this study, varying level of resistance of Escherichia coli 66(84.6%), Salmonella 6(100%) and Arcobacter 57(100%) to amoxicillin was observed. The susceptibility pattern indicates that the bacterial isolates exhibited a varying level of resistance to two or more antimicrobial agents with maximum resistance to amoxicillin.

  13. Leaner and meaner genomes in Escherichia coli

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ussery, David

    2006-01-01

    A 'better' Escherichia coli K-12 genome has recently been engineered in which about 15% of the genome has been removed by planned deletions. Comparison with related bacterial genomes that have undergone a natural reduction in size suggests that there is plenty of scope for yet more deletions....

  14. Profiling of Escherichia coli Chromosome database.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamazaki, Yukiko; Niki, Hironori; Kato, Jun-ichi

    2008-01-01

    The Profiling of Escherichia coli Chromosome (PEC) database (http://www.shigen.nig.ac.jp/ecoli/pec/) is designed to allow E. coli researchers to efficiently access information from functional genomics studies. The database contains two principal types of data: gene essentiality and a large collection of E. coli genetic research resources. The essentiality data are based on data compilation from published single-gene essentiality studies and on cell growth studies of large-deletion mutants. Using the circular and linear viewers for both whole genomes and the minimal genome, users can not only gain an overview of the genome structure but also retrieve information on contigs, gene products, mutants, deletions, and so forth. In particular, genome-wide exhaustive mutants are an essential resource for studying E. coli gene functions. Although the genomic database was constructed independently from the genetic resources database, users may seamlessly access both types of data. In addition to these data, the PEC database also provides a summary of homologous genes of other bacterial genomes and of protein structure information, with a comprehensive interface. The PEC is thus a convenient and useful platform for contemporary E. coli researchers.

  15. Adsorption of Escherichia coli Using Bone Char | Rezaee | Journal ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The aim of study was providing a novel adsorbent for the removal of Escherichia coli (E.coli) as a microbial model from contaminated air especially in hospital units using bone char (BC). The BC was prepared from cattle animal bone by pyrolysis in a furnace at 450°C for 2 h. The characteristics of BC have been determined ...

  16. Translational errors in expression of Shiga toxin from pathogenic Escherichia coli as measured by MALDI-TOF-TOF and Orbitrap mass spectrometry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Introduction: Shiga toxin (Stx) is an AB5 toxin expressed by Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) and Shigella dysenteriae. The Stx holotoxin attaches to surface receptors of eukaryotic cells. After cellular envelopment, the toxin disrupts ribosomal protein synthesis causing cell death. Variations i...

  17. prevalence of escherichia coli 0157:h7 in fresh and roasted beef

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    DR. AMINU

    The prevalence of Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli 0157:H7 in 300 fresh beef and 150 roasted beef samples from ... likely cause of E. coli O157:H7 infection is undercooked ground beef. ..... coli O157:H7 in a sheep model. Appl. Environ.

  18. Escherichia coli enteroagregativa como agente provocador de diarreia persistente: modelo experimental utilizando microscopia óptica de luz Escherichia coli enteroagregativa como agente provocador de diarrea persistente: modelo experimental utilizando microscopia óptica de luz Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli as a cause of persistent diarrhea: an experimental model using light microscopy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jacy Alves B. de Andrade

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Avaliar interações de amostras de Escherichia coli enteroagregativa com tecido intestinal humano, a fim de documentar potenciais alterações em diferentes regiões do trato digestivo. MÉTODOS: Amostras de Escherichia coli enteroagregativa isoladas das fezes de crianças com diarreia persistente e a amostra protótipo 042, isolada de uma criança com diarreia em Lima, no Peru (controle positivo, foram analisadas por microscopia óptica de luz após semeadura em cultura de orgão in vitro de fragmentos de mucosa ileal e colônica. Foram analisadas as interações entre as diferentes cepas de Escherichia coli enteroagregativa e as mucosas ileal e colônica. RESULTADOS: A análise por microscopia óptica de luz indicou associação destes micro-organismos com o epitélio, provocando alterações. As cepas estudadas aderiram a ambas as regiões avaliadas (intestino delgado distal e grosso e causaram alterações, especialmente naquelas áreas onde interagiram diretamente com o epitélio. No íleo, algumas regiões mostraram internalização secundária. CONCLUSÕES: Esses agentes podem causar diarreia persistente por meio de alterações no intestino delgado, no qual ocorrem as funções digestivo-absortivas. As lesões inflamatórias descritas na mucosa colônica poderiam explicar a colite mostrada em algumas crianças infectadas por Escherichia coli enteroagregativa.OBJETIVO: Evaluar interacciones de muestras de Escherichia coli enteroagregativa (EAEC con tejido intestinal humano, a fin de documentar potenciales alteraciones en distintas regiones del tracto digestivo (intestino delgado distal e intestino grueso y definir, con eso, su rol en la persistencia del proceso diarreico. MÉTODOS: Muestras de EAEC aislada de las heces de niños con diarrea persistente y la muestra prototipo 042, aislada de un niño con diarrea en Lima, Perú (control positivo fueron analizadas por microscopía óptica de luz (ML después de siembra en cultura

  19. GLYCOSYLATED YGHJ POLYPEPTIDES FROM ENTEROTOXIGENIC ESCHERICHIA COLI (ETEC)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    2017-01-01

    The present invention relates to glycosylated YghJ polypeptides from or derived from enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) that are immunogenic. In particular, the present invention relates to compositions or vaccines comprising the polypeptides and their application in immunization, vaccination...

  20. Purification and Characterization of Recombinant Vaccinia L1R Protein from Escherichia coli

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-08-01

    RECOMBINANT VACCINIA L1R PROTEIN FROM ESCHERICHIA COLI 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background Vaccinia virus (VACV) is the active component of the...the preparation of the recombinant VACV L1R protein fragment by denaturing , refolding, and purifying material expressed into inclusion bodies in...PURIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF RECOMBINANT VACCINIA L1R PROTEIN FROM ESCHERICHIA COLI ECBC-TR-1370

  1. Genes and proteins of Escherichia coli K-12.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riley, M

    1998-01-01

    GenProtEC is a database of Escherichia coli genes and their gene products, classified by type of function and physiological role and with citations to the literature for each. Also present are data on sequence similarities among E.coli proteins, representing groups of paralogous genes, with PAM values, percent identity of amino acids, length of alignment and percent aligned. GenProtEC can be accessed at the URL http://www.mbl.edu/html/ecoli.html

  2. Deuterium incorporation into Escherichia-coli proteins

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lederer, H.; May, R. P.; Kjems, Jørgen

    1986-01-01

    Neutron small-angle scattering studies of single protein subunits in a protein-DNA complex require the adjustment of the neutron scattering-length densities of protein and DNA, which is attainable by specific deuteration of the protein. The neutron scattering densities of unlabelled DNA and DNA......-dependent RNA polymerase of Escherichia coli match when RNA polymerase is isolated from cells grown in a medium containing 46% D2O and unlabelled glucose as carbon source. Their contrasts vanish simultaneously in a dialysis buffer containing 65% D2O. An expression was evaluated which allows the calculation...... of the degree of deuteration and match point of any E. coli protein from the D2O content of the growth medium, taking the 2H incorporation into RNA polymerase amino acids to be representative for all amino acids in E. coli proteins. The small-angle scattering results, on which the calculation of the degree...

  3. Environmental Escherichia coli: ecology and public health implications-a review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jang, J; Hur, H-G; Sadowsky, M J; Byappanahalli, M N; Yan, T; Ishii, S

    2017-09-01

    Escherichia coli is classified as a rod-shaped, Gram-negative bacterium in the family Enterobacteriaceae. The bacterium mainly inhabits the lower intestinal tract of warm-blooded animals, including humans, and is often discharged into the environment through faeces or wastewater effluent. The presence of E. coli in environmental waters has long been considered as an indicator of recent faecal pollution. However, numerous recent studies have reported that some specific strains of E. coli can survive for long periods of time, and potentially reproduce, in extraintestinal environments. This indicates that E. coli can be integrated into indigenous microbial communities in the environment. This naturalization phenomenon calls into question the reliability of E. coli as a faecal indicator bacterium (FIB). Recently, many studies reported that E. coli populations in the environment are affected by ambient environmental conditions affecting their long-term survival. Large-scale studies of population genetics revealed the diversity and complexity of E. coli strains in various environments, which are affected by multiple environmental factors. This review examines the current knowledge on the ecology of E. coli strains in various environments with regard to its role as a FIB and as a naturalized member of indigenous microbial communities. Special emphasis is given on the growth of pathogenic E. coli in the environment, and the population genetics of environmental members of the genus Escherichia. The impact of environmental E. coli on water quality and public health is also discussed. © 2017 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

  4. The Prevalence of Enterhaemorrhagic Escherichia Coli in children ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    EHEC), the pathogenicity of other strains of Escherichia coli and other organisms in children presenting with and without diarrhoea in the hospital. Subjects and Methods: A total of 247 stool samples collected from children aged 1 month to 7 ...

  5. Genetic Transfer of Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli Lipopolysaccharide Antigens to Escherichia coli K-12

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Randall T.; Koeltzow, Donald E.; Stocker, B. A. D.

    1972-01-01

    Escherichia coli K-12 ϰ971 was crossed with a smooth Salmonella typhimurium donor, HfrK6, which transfers early the ilv-linked rfa region determining lipopolysaccharide (LPS) core structure. Two ilv+ hybrids differing in their response to the LPS-specific phages FO and C21 were then crossed with S. typhimurium HfrK9, which transfers early the rfb gene cluster determining O repeat unit structure. Most recombinants selected for his+ (near rfb) were agglutinated by Salmonella factor 4 antiserum. Transfer of an F′ factor (FS400) carrying the rfb–his region of S. typhimurium to the same two ilv+ hybrids gave similar results. LPS extracted from two ilv+,his+, factor 4-positive hybrids contained abequose, the immunodominant sugar for factor 4 specificity. By contrast, his+ hybrids obtained from ϰ971 itself by similar HfrK9 and F′FS400 crosses were not agglutinated by factor 4 antiserum, indicating that the parental E. coli ϰ971 does not have the capacity to attach Salmonella O repeat units to its LPS core. It is concluded that the Salmonella rfb genes are expressed only in E. coli ϰ971 hybrids which have also acquired ilv-linked genes (presumably rfa genes affecting core structure or O-translocase ability, or both) from a S. typhimurium donor. When E. coli ϰ971 was crossed with a smooth E. coli donor, Hfr59, of serotype O8, which transfers his early, most his+ recombinants were agglutinated by E. coli O8 antiserum and lysed by the O8-specific phage, Ω8. This suggests that, although the parental E. coli K-12 strain ϰ971 cannot attach Salmonella-specific repeat units to its LPS core, it does have the capacity to attach E. coli O8-specific repeat units. PMID:4559827

  6. Escherichia coli O157:H7 - An Emerging Pathogen in foods of Animal Origin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ch. Bindu Kiranmayi

    Full Text Available Escherichia coli O157:H7 is an emerging public health concern in most countries of the world. E. coli O157:H7 was known to be a human pathogen for nearly 24 years. EHEC O157 infection is estimated to be the fourth most costly food borne disease in Canada and USA, not counting the cost of possible litigation. E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella are the leading causes of produce related outbreaks, accounting for 20 and 30% respectively. The authority of the Federal Meat Inspection Act, FSIS (Food Safety and Inspection Service declared Escherichia coli O157:H7, an adulterant in raw ground beef and enforced “zero tolerance” (USDA-FSIS, 17 December 1998. Because of the severity of these illnesses and the apparent low infective dose (less than 10 cells, Escherichia coli O157:H7 is considered one of the most serious of known food borne pathogens. Escherichia coli O157:H7 is mainly pathogenic to human but in cattle and other animals, it did not induce any clinical disease except diarrhea. So, these animals act as carriers to Escherichia coli O157:H7. The majority transmission is through eating of undercooked contaminated ground meat and consumption of raw milk, raw vegetables, fruits contaminated by water, cheese, curd and also through consumption of sprouts, lettuce and juice. The conventional isolation procedure includes growth in enrichment broth like modified EC (E. coli broth or modified tryptic soy broth (mTSB Since the infection primarily occurs via faeco-oral route, the preventive measures include food hygiene measures like proper cooking of meat, consumption of pasteurized milk, washing fruits and vegetables especially those to be eaten raw and drinking chlorine treated water and personnel hygiene measures like washing hands after toilet visits. [Veterinary World 2010; 3(8.000: 382-389

  7. Mechanisms of antibiotic resistance to enrofloxacin in uropathogenic Escherichia coli in dog

    Science.gov (United States)

    Escherichia coli (E. coli) urinary tract infections (UTIs) are becoming a serious problem both for pets and humans (zoonosis) due to the close contact and to the increasing resistance to antibiotics. Canine E. coli represents a good experimental model useful to study this pathology. Moreover, as des...

  8. Associations Between Hydration Status, Intravenous Fluid Administration, and Outcomes of Patients Infected With Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grisaru, Silviu; Xie, Jianling; Samuel, Susan; Hartling, Lisa; Tarr, Phillip I; Schnadower, David; Freedman, Stephen B

    2017-01-01

    The associations between hydration status, intravenous fluid administration, and outcomes of patients infected with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) remain unclear. To determine the relationship between hydration status, the development and severity of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), and adverse outcomes in STEC-infected individuals. MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials via the OvidSP platform, PubMed via the National Library of Medicine, CINAHL Plus with full text, Scopus, Web of Science, ClinicalTrials.gov, reference lists, and gray literature were systematically searched. Two reviewers independently identified studies that included patients with hydration status documentation, proven or presumed STEC infection, and some form of HUS that developed. No language restrictions were applied. Two reviewers independently extracted individual study data, including study characteristics, population, and outcomes. Risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale; strength of evidence was adjudicated using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation method. Meta-analyses were conducted using random-effects models. Development of HUS, complications (ie, oligoanuric renal failure, involvement of the central nervous system, or death), and interventions (ie, renal replacement therapy). Eight studies comprising 1511 patients (all children) met eligibility criteria. Unpublished data were provided by the authors of 7 published reports. The median risk-of-bias score was 7.5 (range, 6-9). No studies evaluated the effect of hydration during STEC infections on the risk for HUS. A hematocrit value greater than 23% as a measure of hydration status at presentation with HUS was associated with the development of oligoanuric HUS (OR, 2.38 [95% CI, 1.30-4.35]; I2 = 2%), renal replacement therapy (OR, 1.90 [95% CI, 1.25-2.90]; I2 = 17%), and death (OR, 5.13 [95% CI, 1.50-17.57]; I2 = 55%). Compared with

  9. Spontaneous Escherichia coli Meningitis Associated with Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kuo-Hsuan Chang

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available Spontaneous Escherichia coli meningitis has not been previously reported in association with hemophago-cytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH. A previously healthy 72-year-old woman was admitted due to fever, nuchal rigidity, disturbed consciousness and splenomegaly. Anemia, thrombocytopenia and hyperfer-ritinemia developed on the 8th day of hospitalization. Cultures of cerebrospinal fluid and blood grew E. coli. Abundant macrophages overwhelmed erythrocytes in the bone marrow aspirate, confirming the presence of hemophagocytosis. E. coli meningitis was managed with a 40-day course of antibiotic treatment. However, the severity of anemia and thrombocytopenia progressed despite intensive transfusion therapy. The patient died of HLH on the 60th day of hospitalization.

  10. Ocorrência e caracterização de Escherichia coli produtora de toxina de Shiga na linha de abate de bovinos para exportação e em cortes refrigerados de bovinos e de aves comercializados na região da Grande São Paulo

    OpenAIRE

    Priscila Pedullo Alvares

    2011-01-01

    Escherichia coli produtoras de toxina de Shiga (STEC) são patógenos veiculados por alimentos capazes de causar desde diarréia branda até severa e sanguinolenta e evoluir para complicações graves como colite hemorrágica, síndrome hemolítica urêmica e púrpura trombótica trombocitopênica. Esses microrganismos têm sido associados a numerosos surtos e vários casos esporádicos de infecções em todo o mundo devido ao consumo de alimentos contaminados. O sorogrupo O157 desse grupo de microrganismos é ...

  11. The antibacterial effect of four mouthwashes against streptococcus mutans and escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghapanchi, Janan; Lavaee, Fatemeh; Moattari, Afagh; Shakib, Mahmood

    2015-04-01

    To evaluate the antimicrobial properties of several mouthwash concentrations on oral Streptococcus mutans and Escherichia coli. The study was conducted at Shiraz Medicine School in 2011. Serial dilutions of Chlorohexidin, Oral B and Persica and Irsha (2,4,8,16,64,128) were prepared in Muller-Hinton media. Minimum inhibitory concentration was visually determined and defined as the lowest concentration of each oral washing which inhibited > 95% growth reduction compared to the growth control well. Chlorhexidine, Oral B and Irsha mouthwash inhibited Streptococcus mutans even with diluted concentrations. Also, Chlorhexidine and Oral B prohibited Escherichia coli with different potencies. But Persica had no antimicrobial activity against either Escherichia coli or Streptococcus mutans. Chlorhexidine, Irsha, and Oral B mouthwashes can be used for antimicrobial effects, especially on Streptococcus mutans. This chemical activity of mouthwashes is an adjuvant for mechanical removing of plaque. However, the antimicrobial effect of Persicaremains controversial.

  12. Escherichia coli Contamination of Lettuce Grown in Soils Amended with Animal Slurry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Annette Nygaard; Storm, Christina; Forslund, Anita

    2013-01-01

    A pilot study was conducted to assess the transfer of Escherichia coli from animal slurry fertilizer to lettuce, with E. coli serving as an indicator of fecal contamination and as an indicator for potential bacterial enteric pathogens. Animal slurry was applied as fertilizer to three Danish agric...... types between slurry, soil, and lettuce. The frequent finding of fecal-contaminated lettuce indicates that human pathogens such as Salmonella and Campylobacter can be present and represent food safety hazards.......A pilot study was conducted to assess the transfer of Escherichia coli from animal slurry fertilizer to lettuce, with E. coli serving as an indicator of fecal contamination and as an indicator for potential bacterial enteric pathogens. Animal slurry was applied as fertilizer to three Danish....... coli. A relatively higher frequency of E. coli in lettuce compared with the soil samples at harvest suggests environmental sources of fecal contamination, e.g., wildlife. The higher frequency was supported by the finding of 21 different PFGE types among the E. coli isolates, with only a few common PFGE...

  13. Characterization of diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli isolates in Jordanian children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shehabi, Asem A; Bulos, Najawa-Kuri; Hajjaj, Kamal G

    2003-01-01

    In a prospective study carried out among Jordanian children in Amman, a total of 73/250 (29.2%) stool specimens were positive for 1 or more diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli strains using a multiplex polymerase chain reaction method. This study indicated that diarrhoeagenic E. coli isolates were found frequently more in stools of children with diarrhoea (34%) than without diarrhoea (23.1%), but without any significant difference (p > 0.05). The predominant diarrhoeagenic E. coli strains associated with diarrhoea were enteropathogenic E. coli (11.3%), followed by enterotoxigenic E. coli (9.8%) and enteroaggrative E. coli (9%), whereas in the control group these were 4.3%, 11.1% and 6%, respectively. Enteroinvasive E. coli strains (2.9%) were found only in stools of children with diarrhoea. This study revealed the absence of enterohaemorrhagic E. coli in both diarrhoeal and control stools, and found that diarrhoeagenic E. coli isolates were highly resistance to tetracycline (55%), co-trimoxazole (60%) and ampicillin (89%), which are commonly used antibiotics in Jordan.

  14. Vanillin production by recombinant strains of Escherichia coli Produção de vanilina por linhagens recombinantes de Escherichia coli

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Attilio Converti

    2003-11-01

    Full Text Available Vanillin production from ferulate was studied using different recombinant strains of Escherichia coli. To prevent the occurrence of aerobic conditions and then possible product oxidation, tests were performed in Erlenmeyer flasks under mild mixing (150 rpm. Among other transformants, E. coli JM109(pBB1 appeared to be the best vanillin producer, being able to convert no less than 95% of starting ferulate to the product within 1h. This yield decreased down to 72% after 72h, likely because of a non-specific oxidase activity responsible for vanillin oxidation to vanillate.A produção de vanilina a partir de ácido ferúlico foi estudada utilizando-se diferentes linhagens recombinantes de Escherichia coli. Para prevenir a ocorrência de condições de aerobiose e a possível oxidação do produto, os ensaios foram realizados em frascos Erlenmeyer sob agitação moderada (150 rpm. E. coli JM109 (pBBI mostrou-se o melhor produtor de vanilina entre os demais agentes transformantes, sendo capaz de converter 95% do ácido ferúlico inicial em produto após 1h, rendimento este que decresceu para 72% após 72h, provavelmente devido à atividade de uma oxidase não-específica responsável pela oxidação de vanilina a ácido vanílico.

  15. Identification of Genes Important for Growth of Asymptomatic Bacteriuria Escherichia coli in Urine

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vejborg, Rebecca Munk; de Evgrafov, Mari Cristina Rodriguez; Phan, Minh Duy

    2012-01-01

    Escherichia coli is the most important etiological agent of urinary tract infections (UTIs). Unlike uropathogenic E. coli, which causes symptomatic infections, asymptomatic bacteriuria (ABU) E. coli strains typically lack essential virulence factors and colonize the bladder in the absence...

  16. Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli in Daycare

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hebbelstrup Jensen, Betina; Stensvold, Christen R.; Struve, Carsten

    2016-01-01

    Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) has been associated with persistent diarrhea, reduced growth acceleration, and failure to thrive in children living in developing countries and with childhood diarrhea in general in industrialized countries. The clinical implications of an EAEC carrier...... and answered a questionnaire regarding gastrointestinal symptoms and exposures. Exposures included foreign travel, consumption of antibiotics, and contact with a diseased animal. In the capital area of Denmark, a total of 179 children aged 0-6 years were followed in a cohort study, in the period between 2009...

  17. Action of sodium deoxycholate on Escherichia coli

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    D'Mello, A.; Yotis, W.W.

    1987-01-01

    Sodium deoxycholate is used in a number of bacteriological media for the isolation and classification of gram-negative bacteria from food and the environment. Initial experiments to study the effect of deoxycholate on the growth parameters of Escherichia coli showed an increase in the lag time constant and generation time and a decrease in the growth rate constant total cell yield of this microorganisms. Cell fractionation studies indicated that sodium deoxycholate at levels used in bacteriological media interferes with the incorporation of [U- 14 C]glucose into the cold-trichloroacetic acid-soluble, ethanol-soluble, and trypsin-soluble cellular fractions of E. coli. Finally, sodium deoxycholate interfered with the flagellation and motility of Proteus mirabilis and E. coli. It would appear then that further improvement of the deoxycholate medium may be in order

  18. Action of sodium deoxycholate on Escherichia coli

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    D' Mello, A.; Yotis, W.W.

    1987-08-01

    Sodium deoxycholate is used in a number of bacteriological media for the isolation and classification of gram-negative bacteria from food and the environment. Initial experiments to study the effect of deoxycholate on the growth parameters of Escherichia coli showed an increase in the lag time constant and generation time and a decrease in the growth rate constant total cell yield of this microorganisms. Cell fractionation studies indicated that sodium deoxycholate at levels used in bacteriological media interferes with the incorporation of (U-/sup 14/C)glucose into the cold-trichloroacetic acid-soluble, ethanol-soluble, and trypsin-soluble cellular fractions of E. coli. Finally, sodium deoxycholate interfered with the flagellation and motility of Proteus mirabilis and E. coli. It would appear then that further improvement of the deoxycholate medium may be in order.

  19. Characteristics of Shigatoxin-Producing Escherichia coli Strains Isolated during 2010–2014 from Human Infections in Switzerland

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lisa Fierz

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: The aim of this study was to characterize a collection of 95 Shigatoxin-producing E.coli (STEC isolated from human patients in Switzerland during 2010–2014.Methods: We performed O and H serotyping and molecular subtyping.Results: The five most common serogroups were O157, O145, O26, O103, and O146. Of the 95 strains, 35 (36.8% carried stx1 genes only, 43 strains (45.2% carried stx2 and 17 (17.9% harbored combinations of stx1 and stx2 genes. Stx1a (42 strains and stx2a (32 strains were the most frequently detected stx subtypes. Genes for intimin (eae, hemolysin (hly, iron-regulated adhesion (iha, and the subtilase cytotoxin subtypes subAB1, subAB2-1, subAB2-2, or subAB2-3 were detected in 70.5, 83.2, 74.7, and 20% of the strains, respectively. Multilocus sequence typing assigned the majority (58.9% of the isolates to five different clonal complexes (CC, 11, 32, 29, 20, and 165, respectively. CC11 included all O157:[H7] and O55:[H7] isolates. CC32 comprised O145:[H28] isolates, and O145:[H25] belonged to sequence type (ST 342. CC29 contained isolates of the O26:[H11], O111:[H8] and O118:[Hnt] serogroups, and CC20 encompassed isolates of O51:H49/[Hnt] and O103:[H2]. CC165 included isolates typed O80:[H2]-ST301, all harboring stx2d, eae-ξ, hly, and 66.7% additionally harboring iha. All O80:[H2]-ST301 strains harbored at least 7 genes carried by pS88, a plasmid associated with extraintestinal virulence. Compared to data from Switzerland from the years 2000–2009, an increase of the proportion of non-O157 STEC infections was observed as well as an increase of infections due to STEC O146. By contrast, the prevalence of the highly virulent German clone STEC O26:[H11]-ST29 decreased from 11.3% during 2000–2009 to 1.1% for the time span 2010–2014. The detection of O80:[H2]-ST301 harboring stx2d, eae-ξ, hly, iha, and pS88 related genes suggests an ongoing emergence in Switzerland of an unusual, highly pathogenic STEC serotype

  20. Draft Genome Sequence of Escherichia coli K-12 (ATCC 10798)

    OpenAIRE

    Dimitrova, Daniela; Engelbrecht, Kathleen C.; Putonti, Catherine; Koenig, David W.; Wolfe, Alan J.

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT Here, we present the draft genome sequence of Escherichia coli ATCC 10798. E.?coli ATCC 10798 is a K-12 strain, one of the most well-studied model microorganisms. The size of the genome was 4,685,496?bp, with a G+C content of 50.70%. This assembly consists of 62 contigs and the F plasmid.

  1. Protein export in bacillus subtilis and escherichia coli

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dijl, Jan Maarten van

    1990-01-01

    The export of heterologous proteins in Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli is often inefficient. Frequently observed problems are: 1) accumulation of the precursor form of the exported protein in the cytoplasm or in the membrane; 2), inefficient or incorrect processing of the precursor; 3),

  2. Production of caffeoylmalic acid from glucose in engineered Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Tianzhen; Zhou, Wei; Bi, Huiping; Zhuang, Yibin; Zhang, Tongcun; Liu, Tao

    2018-07-01

    To achieve biosynthesis of caffeoylmalic acid from glucose in engineered Escherichia coli. We constructed the biosynthetic pathway of caffeoylmalic acid in E. coli by co-expression of heterologous genes RgTAL, HpaBC, At4CL2 and HCT2. To enhance the production of caffeoylmalic acid, we optimized the tyrosine metabolic pathway of E. coli to increase the supply of the substrate caffeic acid. Consequently, an E. coli-E. coli co-culture system was used for the efficient production of caffeoylmalic acid. The final titer of caffeoylmalic acid reached 570.1 mg/L. Microbial production of caffeoylmalic acid using glucose has application potential. In addition, microbial co-culture is an efficient tool for producing caffeic acid esters.

  3. Towards a pathogenic Escherichia coli detection platform using multiplex SYBR®Green Real-time PCR methods and high resolution melting analysis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dafni-Maria Kagkli

    Full Text Available Escherichia coli is a group of bacteria which has raised a lot of safety concerns in recent years. Five major intestinal pathogenic groups have been recognized amongst which the verocytotoxin or shiga-toxin (stx1 and/or stx2 producing E. coli (VTEC or STEC respectively have received a lot of attention recently. Indeed, due to the high number of outbreaks related to VTEC strains, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA has requested the monitoring of the "top-five" serogroups (O26, O103, O111, O145 and O157 most often encountered in food borne diseases and addressed the need for validated VTEC detection methods. Here we report the development of a set of intercalating dye Real-time PCR methods capable of rapidly detecting the presence of the toxin genes together with intimin (eae in the case of VTEC, or aggregative protein (aggR, in the case of the O104:H4 strain responsible for the outbreak in Germany in 2011. All reactions were optimized to perform at the same annealing temperature permitting the multiplex application in order to minimize the need of material and to allow for high-throughput analysis. In addition, High Resolution Melting (HRM analysis allowing the discrimination among strains possessing similar virulence traits was established. The development, application to food samples and the flexibility in use of the methods are thoroughly discussed. Together, these Real-time PCR methods facilitate the detection of VTEC in a new highly efficient way and could represent the basis for developing a simple pathogenic E. coli platform.

  4. A sustainable route to produce the scytonemin precursor using Escherichia coli

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Malla, Sailesh; Sommer, Morten O. A.

    2014-01-01

    moiety of scytonemin from tryptophan and tyrosine in Escherichia coli. We heterologously expressed the biosynthetic pathway from Nostoc punctiforme and discovered that only three enzymes from N. punctiforme are required for the in vivo production of the monomer moiety of scytonemin in E. coli. We also...

  5. Establishing Streptomycin Epidemiological Cut-Off Values for Salmonella and Escherichia coli

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Migura, Lourdes Garcia; Sunde, Marianne; Karlsmose, Susanne

    2011-01-01

    This study was conducted to elucidate the accuracy of the current streptomycin epidemiological cut-off value (ECOFF) for Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. A total of 236 Salmonella enterica and 208 E. coli isolates exhibiting MICs between 4 and 32 mg/L were selected from 12 countries. Isolates...

  6. TEM-145 and TEM-146 β-lactamases produced by Escherichia coli ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    GREGO

    2007-03-05

    Mar 5, 2007 ... Key words: Escherichia coli, plasmid-mediated, TEM β-lactamase. ... Enterobacteriaceae, the most prevalent mechanism of resistance to ... the production of a relatively inhibitor-resistant OXA-type β-lactamase .... and 8.6 as transcripts of the E. coli chromosomal AmpC .... Mode of action and mechanisms of.

  7. Reconstitution of active mycobacterial binuclear iron monooxygenase complex in Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Furuya, Toshiki; Hayashi, Mika; Kino, Kuniki

    2013-10-01

    Bacterial binuclear iron monooxygenases play numerous physiological roles in oxidative metabolism. Monooxygenases of this type found in actinomycetes also catalyze various useful reactions and have attracted much attention as oxidation biocatalysts. However, difficulties in expressing these multicomponent monooxygenases in heterologous hosts, particularly in Escherichia coli, have hampered the development of engineered oxidation biocatalysts. Here, we describe a strategy to functionally express the mycobacterial binuclear iron monooxygenase MimABCD in Escherichia coli. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic analysis of the mimABCD gene expression in E. coli revealed that the oxygenase components MimA and MimC were insoluble. Furthermore, although the reductase MimB was expressed at a low level in the soluble fraction of E. coli cells, a band corresponding to the coupling protein MimD was not evident. This situation rendered the transformed E. coli cells inactive. We found that the following factors are important for functional expression of MimABCD in E. coli: coexpression of the specific chaperonin MimG, which caused MimA and MimC to be soluble in E. coli cells, and the optimization of the mimD nucleotide sequence, which led to efficient expression of this gene product. These two remedies enabled this multicomponent monooxygenase to be actively expressed in E. coli. The strategy described here should be generally applicable to the E. coli expression of other actinomycetous binuclear iron monooxygenases and related enzymes and will accelerate the development of engineered oxidation biocatalysts for industrial processes.

  8. Pulsed-Plasma Disinfection of Water Containing Escherichia coli

    Science.gov (United States)

    Satoh, Kohki; MacGregor, Scott J.; Anderson, John G.; Woolsey, Gerry A.; Fouracre, R. Anthony

    2007-03-01

    The disinfection of water containing the microorganism, Escherichia coli (E. coli) by exposure to a pulsed-discharge plasma generated above the water using a multineedle electrode (plasma-exposure treatment), and by sparging the off-gas of the pulsed plasma into the water (off-gas-sparging treatment), is performed in the ambient gases of air, oxygen, and nitrogen. For the off-gas-sparging treatment, bactericidal action is observed only when oxygen is used as the ambient gas, and ozone is found to generate the bactericidal action. For the plasma-exposure treatment, the density of E. coli bacteria decreases exponentially with plasma-exposure time for all the ambient gases. It may be concluded that the main contributors to E. coli inactivation are particle species produced by the pulsed plasma. For the ambient gases of air and nitrogen, the influence of acidification of the water in the system, as a result of pulsed-plasma exposure, may also contribute to the decay of E. coli density.

  9. ANALISIS KANDUNGAN BORAKS DAN Escherichia coli PADA JAJANAN BAKSO SAPI YANG DIPERDAGANGKAN DI KOTA BANJARBARU

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nur Rahmi

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available This study aims to determine how the content of borax and Escherichia coli on meatballs snacks and the factors that affect the food security of meatballs snacks by using Easy Method of Borax Test and Method of Most Probable Number (MPN for Escherichia coli bacteria contamination. This research was conducted in Banjarbaru on 5 villages, and sampling technique used is stratified sampling. The results of the study showed that from 32 samples taken from five village location, it was not identified any borax based on PERMENKES No. 033 of 2012, while for the examination of Escherichia coli, there are 14 samples of meatballs (43.75% which were eligible, and 18 samples of meatballs (56.25% which containEscherichia coli ranges from 3.6 to 62 CFU /g or not meeting the criteria of ISO 7388: 2009. The factor that might not trigger the addition of borax is that the traders have a good knowledge and attitude toward borax which regarded as a toxic substance and can be harmful to health. Factors that cause microbial contamination of Escherichia coli on meatballs snacks is the lack of food hygiene and sanitation in the food processing, cooked food storage, transport, serving, sanitation facilities, and personnel handlers compared with the good supply of foodstuffs and food ingredients storage.

  10. Escherichia coli O104 associated with human diarrhea, South Africa, 2004-2011.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tau, Nomsa P; Meidany, Parastu; Smith, Anthony M; Sooka, Arvinda; Keddy, Karen H

    2012-08-01

    To determine the origin of >4,000 suspected diarrheagenic Escherichia coli strains isolated during 2004-2011 in South Africa, we identified 7 isolates as serotype O104; 5 as enteroaggregative E. coli O104:H4, and 2 as enteropathogenic E. coli O104:non-H4. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis showed that these isolates were unrelated to the 2011 E. coli O104:H4 outbreak strain from Germany.

  11. The Development of a Portable SPR Bioanalyzer for Sensitive Detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shun Wang

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to develop a portable surface plasmon resonance (SPR bioanalyzer for the sensitive detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in comparison with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA. The experimental setup mainly consisted of an integrated biosensor and a homemade microfluidic cell with a three-way solenoid valve. In order to detect Escherichia coli O157:H7 using the SPR immunoassay, 3-mercaptopropionic acid (3-MPA was chemisorbed onto a gold surface via covalent bond for the immobilization of biological species. 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC and N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS were used as crosslinker reagents to enable the reaction between 3-MPA and Escherichia coli O157:H7 antibodies by covalent –CO–NH– amide bonding. The experimental results were obtained from the Escherichia coli O157:H7 positive samples prepared by 10-, 20-, 40-, 80-, and 160-fold dilution respectively, which show that a good linear relationship with the correlation coefficient R of 0.982 existed between the response units from the portable SPR bioanalyzer and the concentration of Escherichia coli O157:H7 positive samples. Moreover, the theoretical detection limit of 1.87 × 103 cfu/mL was calculated from the positive control samples. Compared with the Escherichia coli O157:H7 ELISA kit, the sensitivity of this portable SPR bioanalyzer is four orders of magnitude higher than the ELISA kit. The results demonstrate that the portable SPR bioanalyzer could provide an alternative method for the quantitative and sensitive determination of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in field.

  12. Cytokine response to Escherichia coli in gnotobiotic pigs

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Šplíchal, Igor; Šplíchalová, Alla; Trebichavský, Ilja

    2008-01-01

    Roč. 53, č. 2 (2008), s. 161-164 ISSN 0015-5632 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA523/05/0249 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50200510 Keywords : germ-free pigs * escherichia coli * cytokine response Subject RIV: EE - Microbiology, Virology Impact factor: 1.172, year: 2008

  13. Escherichia coli and virus isolated from ''sticky kits''

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jørgensen, M.; Scheutz, F.; Strandbygaard, Bertel

    1996-01-01

    A total of 121 Escherichia coli strains isolated from 3-week-old mink kits were serotyped and examined for virulence factors. 56 strains were isolated from healthy kits while 65 were from ''sticky kits''. Among these, 34 different serotypes were detected. No difference in serotypes or the presenc...

  14. TiO2 Photocatalysis Damages Lipids and Proteins in Escherichia coli

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Carre, Gaelle; Hamon, Erwann; Ennahar, Said; Estner, Maxime; Lett, Marie-Claire; Horvatovich, Peter; Gies, Jean-Pierre; Keller, Valerie; Keller, Nicolas; Andre, Philippe

    This study investigates the mechanisms of UV-A (315 to 400 nm) photocatalysis with titanium dioxide (TiO2) applied to the degradation of Escherichia coli and their effects on two key cellular components: lipids and proteins. The impact of TiO2 photocatalysis on E. coli survival was monitored by

  15. Genetic and molecular analyses of Escherichia coli N-acetylneuraminate lyase gene.

    OpenAIRE

    Kawakami, B; Kudo, T; Narahashi, Y; Horikoshi, K

    1986-01-01

    Two plasmids containing the N-acetylneuraminate lyase (NALase) gene (nanA) of Escherichia coli, pNL1 and pNL4, were constructed. Immunoprecipitation analysis indicated that the 35,000-dalton protein encoded in pNL4 was NALase. The synthesis of NALase in E. coli carrying these plasmids was constitutive.

  16. Multiple Antibiotic Resistance Patterns of Escherichia coli Isolates from Swine Farms

    OpenAIRE

    Mathew, A. G.; Saxton, A. M.; Upchurch, W. G.; Chattin, S. E.

    1999-01-01

    Antibiotic resistance of Escherichia coli from sows and pigs was determined to compare patterns between pigs of various ages and degrees of antibiotic use. Resistance patterns differed between farm types and pigs of differing ages, indicating that pig age and degree of antibiotic use affect resistance of fecal E. coli.

  17. Escherichia coli: a brief review of diarrheagenic pathotypes and their role in diarrheal diseases in Iran

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jafari, A; Aslani, MM; Bouzari, S

    2012-01-01

    Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli have developed different strategies for establishment of infection in their host. Understanding these pathogenic mechanisms has led to the development of specific diagnostic tools for identification and categorization of E. coli strains into different pathotypes. This review aims to provide an overview of the various categories of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli and the data obtained in Iran pertaining to these pathotypes. PMID:23066484

  18. Effect of bile on growth, peritoneal absorption, and blood clearance of Escherichia coli in E coli peritonitis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andersson, R.; Schalen, C.; Tranberg, K.G.

    1991-01-01

    The effect of intraperitoneal bile on growth, peritoneal absorption, and clearance of Escherichia coli was determined in E coli peritonitis in the rat. In E coli peritonitis, intraperitoneal bacterial counts gradually decreased, whereas they increased (after 2 hours) with subsequent development of bacteremia in E coli plus bile peritonitis. After an intraperitoneal injection of labeled bacteria, blood radioactivity was only initially lower in E coli plus bile peritonitis compared with E coli peritonitis. Clearance from blood was lower in E coli plus bile peritonitis than in E coli peritonitis. Organ localization was similar in E coli peritonitis and E coli plus bile peritonitis with decreased splenic, increased pulmonary, and unchanged hepatic uptakes compared with controls. Impaired peritoneal absorption of bacteria, together with impaired local host defense, is likely to enhance the noxious effect of bile in E coli peritonitis

  19. Emergence and mechanism of carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli in Henan, China, 2014

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wen-juan Liang

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available The emergence and dissemination of carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli (E. coli strains is a main risk for global public health, but little is known of carbapenemase producing E. coli in Henan, China. The study was undertaken to investigate the prevalence and mechanism of carbapenem-resistant E. coli strains in a hospital in Xinxiang, Henan, China, 2014. A total of 5 carbapenemase-producing E. coli strains were screened from 1014 isolates. We found that they were all resistant to meropenem and imipenem. Amikacin showed the best sensitivity, with gentamicin coming up next. The positive rate of blaNDM was 80% (4/5. The sequencing results showed that two isolates belonged to blaNDM-1 whereas other 2 isolates carried the blaNDM-5. Other carbapenemase genes including blaIMP, blaVIM, blaKPC and blaOXA-48 were not detected. The blaCTX-M-15, blaTEM-1, sul2, aad, and aac(6”–Ib–cr were also detected. MLST analysis showed that NDM-producing E. coli were sporadic. Conjugation test indicated blaNDM could be transferred. In conclusion, the blaNDM was the principal resistance mechanism of carbapenem-resistant E. coli in the hospital, Henan, China. Keywords: blaNDM, Carbapenem-resistant, Escherichia coli

  20. TRIMETHOPRIM-SULFAMETHOXAZOLE RESISTANCE IN SEWAGE ISOLATES OF ESCHERICHIA COLI

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sewage samples from seven locations in the United States were analyzed for Escherichia coli isolates which were resistant to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (SXT). The prevalence rate of SXT resistant organisms varied between the different geographical locales. The majority of th...

  1. Antibiofilm Effects of Lactobacilli against Ciprofloxacin-Resistant Uropathogenic Escherichia coli strains in Pasteurized Milk

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mahsa Yeganeh

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available  Background and Objective: Uropathogenic Escherichia coli-induced urinary tract infections are the most common uropathogenic Escherichia coli etiological agent. In addition, most of biofilms created by these bacteria can be regarded as a serious problem in the food industry. Foodborne diseases have always been considered an emerging public health concern throughout the world. Many outbreaks have been found to be associated with biofilms. Thus, the aim of the present study is to investigate the anti-adhesive effects of lactic acid bacteria against strains of Ciprofloxacin-Resistant Uropathogenic Escherichia coli using microbial techniques in pasteurized milk.Material and Methods: In this study, strains of Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus acidophilus were provided from Pasteur Institute of Iran. Twenty strains of Uropathogenic Escherichia coli-Induced Urinary Tract Infections were isolated from patients with urinary tract infection in Shahid Labbafinejad hospital of Iran. Eight strains with ability of biofilm formation were selected for microbial tests. All of these eight strains were resistant to ciprofloxacin. Disk diffusion method was used to assess the susceptibility of all isolates to the ten common antibiotics. Eight samples of Uropathogenic Escherichia coli were inoculated in pasteurized milk. The microtitre plate 100 method was used to detect anti-adhesive activity of lactobacilli supernatant.Results and Conclusion: Results showed that the eight human isolates were resistant to antibiotics. Isolate of number 4 was the most susceptible strains to antibiofilm effects of lactobacilli in the pasteurized milk. The anti-adhesive effects of lactobacilli on Uropathogenic were confirmed in all microbial tests. In this study, Lactobacillus plantarum revealed the highest inhibitory activity against Uropathogenic Escherichia coli 4 strain with inhibition zones of 42 mm. This strain was reported as a proper probiotic

  2. Escherichia coli can be transformed by a liposome-mediated lipofection method.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kawata, Yoshikazu; Yano, Shin-ichi; Kojima, Hiroyuki

    2003-05-01

    Transformation of Escherichia coli is a basic technique for genetic engineering. We used a liposome-mediated lipofection method to transform electrocompetent E. coli cells which has little natural competence of foreign DNA without electroporation treatment, and got transformants with simple and quick treatment by a plasmid or a transposon and transposase complex.

  3. Tranformasi Fragmen Dna Kromosom Xanthomonas Campestris ke dalam Escherichia Coli

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wibowo Mangunwardoyo

    2002-04-01

    Full Text Available Research on DNA transformation of Xanthomonas campestris into Escherichia coli DH5αα using plasmid vector Escherichia coli (pUC19. was carried out. DNA chromosome was isolated using CTAB method, alkali lysis method was used to isolate DNA plasmid. Both of DNA plasmid and chromosome were digested using restriction enzyme EcoRI. Competent cell was prepared with CaCl2 and heat shock method for transformation procedure. The result revealed transformation obtain 5 white colonies, with transformation frequency was 1,22 x 10-8 colony/competent cell. Electrophoresis analysis showed the DNA fragment (insert in range 0.5 – 7,5 kb. Further research should be carried out to prepare the genomic library to obtain better result of transformant.

  4. Draft Genome Sequence of Escherichia coli K-12 (ATCC 10798).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dimitrova, Daniela; Engelbrecht, Kathleen C; Putonti, Catherine; Koenig, David W; Wolfe, Alan J

    2017-07-06

    Here, we present the draft genome sequence of Escherichia coli ATCC 10798. E. coli ATCC 10798 is a K-12 strain, one of the most well-studied model microorganisms. The size of the genome was 4,685,496 bp, with a G+C content of 50.70%. This assembly consists of 62 contigs and the F plasmid. Copyright © 2017 Dimitrova et al.

  5. Antibiotic-resistance of Escherichia coli isolates from stored pig slurry

    OpenAIRE

    Silva, F.F.P.; Santos, M.; Schmidt, Veronica

    2008-01-01

    The antimicrobial resistance of 96 Escherichia coli strains isolated from a stabilization pond system on a pig-breeding farm was evaluated. Strains were tested for their resistance against 14 antimicrobial using the agar diffusion method. E. coli strains showed resistance to tetracycline (82.3%), nalidixic acid (64%), ampicilin (41%), sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprin (36%), sulfonamide (34%), cloranphenicol (274%), ciprofloxacin (19%), cefaclor (16%), streptomicyn (7.3%), neomicyn (1%), amoxacil...

  6. Metabolic and Transcriptional Response to Cofactor Perturbations in Escherichia coli

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Holm, Anders Koefoed; Blank, L.M.; Oldiges, M.

    2010-01-01

    Metabolic cofactors such as NADH and ATP play important roles in a large number of cellular reactions, and it is of great interest to dissect the role of these cofactors in different aspects of metabolism. Toward this goal, we overexpressed NADH oxidase and the soluble F1-ATPase in Escherichia coli...... of redox and energy metabolism and should help in developing metabolic engineering strategies in E. coli....

  7. Cephalosporin-resistant Escherichia coli isolated from farm-workers and pigs in northern Vietnam

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dang, Son T T; Bortolaia, Valeria; Thi, Nhat T

    2018-01-01

    OBJECTIVE Antimicrobial-resistant bacteria may be transmitted between farm workers and livestock. This study aimed to determine and compare the prevalence and the genetic determinants of cefotaxime-resistant and ESBL-producing Escherichia coli in faecal isolates from workers and pigs at 100 farms...... in northern Vietnam. METHODS Farmers were interviewed about antimicrobial usage in livestock. Escherichia coli isolated on MacConkey agar containing 2 mg/L of cefotaxime (CTX) were tested for susceptibility to different cephalosporins by disk diffusion and screened for occurrence of ESBL-encoding genes by PCR......% in pigs. In 76% of farms, CTX-resistant E. coli were shared by pigs and farm workers. ESBL-producing E. coli were detected from pigs and workers at 66 and 69 farms, respectively. The ESBL phenotype was mainly mediated by CTX-M and to a lesser extent by TEM. Occurrence of blaCTX-M was similar in E. coli...

  8. Use of an Electrostatic Spraying System or the Sprayed Lethality in Container Method To Deliver Antimicrobial Agents onto the Surface of Beef Subprimals To Control Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stella, J Max; Luchansky, John B; Miller, Kelsey; Shoyer, Bradley A; Shane, Laura E; McGeary, Lianna; Osoria, Manuela; Stahler, Laura J; Sevart, Nicholas J; Phebus, Randall K; Thippareddi, Harshavardhan; Porto-Fett, Anna C S

    2017-08-01

    The efficacy of an electrostatic spraying system (ESS) and/or the sprayed lethality in container (SLIC) method to deliver antimicrobial agents onto the surface of beef subprimals to reduce levels of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) was evaluated. Beef subprimals were surface inoculated (lean side; ca. 5.8 log CFU per subprimal) with 2 mL of an eight-strain cocktail comprising single strains of rifampin-resistant (100 μg/mL) STEC (O26:H11, O45:H2, O103:H2, O104:H4, O111:H - , O121:H19, O145:NM, and O157:H7). Next, inoculated subprimals were surface treated with lauric arginate (LAE; 1%), peroxyacetic acid (PAA; 0.025%), or cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC; 0.4%) by passing each subprimal, with the inoculated lean side facing upward, through an ESS cabinet or via SLIC. Subprimals were then vacuum packaged and stored at 4°C. One set of subprimals was sampled after an additional 2 h, 3 days, or 7 days of refrigerated storage, whereas another set was retreated via SLIC after 3 days of storage with a different one of the three antimicrobial agents (e.g., a subprimal treated with LAE on day 0 was then treated with PAA or CPE on day 3). Retreated subprimals were sampled after 2 h or 4 days of additional storage at 4°C. A single initial application of LAE, PAA, or CPC via ESS or SLIC resulted in STEC reductions of ca. 0.3 to 1.3 log CFU per subprimal after 7 days of storage. However, when subprimals were initially treated with LAE, PAA, or CPC via ESS or SLIC and then separately retreated with a different one of these antimicrobial agents via SLIC on day 3, additional STEC reductions of 0.4 to 1.0 log CFU per subprimal were observed after an additional 4 days of storage. Application of LAE, PAA, or CPC, either alone or in combination, via ESS or SLIC is effective for reducing low levels (ca. 0.3 to 1.6 log CFU) of STEC that may be naturally present on the surface of beef subprimals.

  9. Prevalence, quantification and isolation of pathogenic shiga toxin Escherichia coli O157:H7 along the production and supply chain of pork around Hubei Province of China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khan, Sher Bahadar; Zou, Geng; Xiao, Ran; Cheng, Yuting; Rehman, Zia Ur; Ali, Sher; Memon, Atta Muhammad; Fahad, Shah; Ahmad, Irshad; Zhou, Rui

    2018-02-01

    Shiga toxin Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7 is an important zoonotic food borne pathogen causing gastroenteritis that may lead to life threatening hemorragic colitis (HC) and hemorrhagic uremic syndrome (HUS). 325 meat and tissue samples were tested for enumeration of O157:H7 strains using most probable number (MPN)-PCR targeting their specific genes flicH7 and rfbO157 followed by isolation, sereotyping and pathogenicity testing. The overall prevalence of O157:H7 was 41.3% (134/325) along the production and supply chain of pork (PSCP), being higher in supply chain (59%, 118/200) as compared to pig farms (12.8%, 16/125). Along the PSCP, the highest prevalence was found in slaughter houses (86.25%, 69/80) followed by wet- (53.3%, 32/60) and super-markets (28.3%, 17/60). The MPN values ranged from 3 to 1100 MPN/g in overall positive samples, being higher in slaughter houses followed by wet and super markets. Except from intestine and meat samples of slaughter house, the MPN was found higher in summer as compared to winter samples. Eight STEC O157:H7 isolated from meat and liver samples were tested in Balb/C mice for pathogenicity. After development of clinical signs and symptoms, 50-83.3% mortality was produced in the infected mice. Histopathological investigations revealed visible necrosis of intestinal epithelial cells, shedding of cellular debris in the intestine, while in the kidney, necrosis of renal cortical portion of tubular epithelial cells was observed. STEC O157:H7 is prevalent along PSCP around Hubei of China in different proportions being alarmingly higher in supply chain and markets which is a matter of concern for public health. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  10. ANIMAL ENTEROTOXIGENIC ESCHERICHIA COLI

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dubreuil, J. Daniel; Isaacson, Richard E.; Schifferli, Dieter M.

    2016-01-01

    Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is the most common cause of E. coli diarrhea in farm animals. ETEC are characterized by the ability to produce two types of virulence factors; adhesins that promote binding to specific enterocyte receptors for intestinal colonization and enterotoxins responsible for fluid secretion. The best-characterized adhesins are expressed in the context of fimbriae, such as the F4 (also designated K88), F5 (K99), F6 (987P), F17 and F18 fimbriae. Once established in the animal small intestine, ETEC produces enterotoxin(s) that lead to diarrhea. The enterotoxins belong to two major classes; heat-labile toxin that consist of one active and five binding subunits (LT), and heat-stable toxins that are small polypeptides (STa, STb, and EAST1). This chapter describes the disease and pathogenesis of animal ETEC, the corresponding virulence genes and protein products of these bacteria, their regulation and targets in animal hosts, as well as mechanisms of action. Furthermore, vaccines, inhibitors, probiotics and the identification of potential new targets identified by genomics are presented in the context of animal ETEC. PMID:27735786

  11. Attaching and effacing Escherichia coli isolates from Danish children: clinical significance and microbiological characteristics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, C; Ethelberg, S; Olesen, B

    2007-01-01

    This study describes the prevalence, clinical manifestations and microbiological characteristics of attaching and effacing Escherichia coli isolates, i.e., enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) belonging to the classical EPEC serotypes, non-EPEC attaching and effacing E. coli (A/EEC) and verocytotoxin...

  12. Anti-Escherichia coli effect of Hibiscus sabdariffa L. in a meat model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcelo Pinto PAIM

    Full Text Available Abstract Hibiscus sabdariffa L. is used in traditional medicine because of its bioactive properties, such as antioxidant and antibacterial. Escherichia coli is a Gram-negative bacteria and as an indicator of contamination in food. The aim of this work was to evaluate the anti-Escherichia coli effect and the change in pH on the control of aerobic mesophilic microorganisms, using hydroethanolic extract of H. sabdariffa L. in different concentrations in a meat model, verifying its potential as food additive for microbiological stability on ground beef during cooling storage. For the preparation of the treatments, the meat experimental units were elaborated with different concentrations of the vegetal extract (5, 10, 15 and 20%, ground beef and contaminated with E. coli. For pH evaluation, the meat experimental units were added different percentages of hydroethanolic extract. The H. sabdariffa L. antibacterial action reduced two logarithmic levels in practically all treatments. The best pH result was obtained in the meat containing 30% of the extract. The hydroethanolic extracts of Hibiscus sabdariffa L. showed anti-Escherichia coli activity in the presence of refrigerated ground beef. Analyzing the pH results and the count of aerobic mesophilic bacteria, it is possible this extract to be used as a natural food additive.

  13. Microbiological analysis of pre-packed sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) and coriander (Coriandrum sativum) leaves for the presence of Salmonella spp. and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delbeke, Stefanie; Ceuppens, Siele; Jacxsens, Liesbeth; Uyttendaele, Mieke

    2015-09-02

    Enteric pathogens, such as Salmonella spp. and pathogenic Escherichia coli, have been detected and associated with food borne outbreaks from (imported) fresh leafy herbs. Screening on imported herbs from South East Asian countries has been described. However, limited information on prevalence of these pathogens is available from other sourcing regions. Therefore, fresh pre-packed basil and coriander leaves from a Belgian trading company were investigated for the presence of Salmonella spp., Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), generic E. coli and coliforms. In total 592 samples were collected originating from Belgium, Israel and Cyprus during 2013-2014. Multiplex PCR followed by further culture confirmation was used for the detection of Salmonella spp. and STEC, whereas the Petrifilm Select E. coli and VRBL-agar were used, respectively, for the enumeration of E. coli and coliforms. Salmonella was detected in 10 out of 592 samples (25g) (1.7%; 5 from basil and 5 from coriander), of which two samples were sourced from Israel and eight from Cyprus. The presence of STEC was suspected in 11 out of 592 samples (25g) (1.9%; 3 basil and 8 coriander), due to the detection of stx and eae genes, of which one sample originated from Belgium, four from Israel and six from Cyprus. No STEC was isolated by culture techniques, but in three samples a serotype (O26, O103 or O111) with its most likely associated eae-variant (β or θ) was detected by PCR. Generic E. coli was enumerated in 108 out of 592 samples, whereby 55, 32 and 13 samples respectively between 10-100, 100-1000 and 1000-10,000cfu/g and 8 samples exceeding 10,000cfu/g. Coliforms were enumerated in all herb samples at variable levels ranging from 1.6 to 7.5logcfu/g. Further statistics indicate that the E. coli class (categorized by level) was significantly correlated with the presence of Salmonella (pbasil and coriander sourced from different cultivation regions, may contain enteric pathogens and potentially pose a

  14. Prodigiosin - A Multifaceted Escherichia coli Antimicrobial Agent.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tjaša Danevčič

    Full Text Available Despite a considerable interest in prodigiosin, the mechanism of its antibacterial activity is still poorly understood. In this work, Escherichia coli cells were treated with prodigiosin to determine its antimicrobial effect on bacterial physiology. The effect of prodigiosin was concentration dependent. In prodigiosin treated cells above MIC value no significant DNA damage or cytoplasmic membrane disintegration was observed. The outer membrane, however, becomes leaky. Cells had severely decreased respiration activity. In prodigiosin treated cells protein and RNA synthesis were inhibited, cells were elongated but could not divide. Pre-treatment with prodigiosin improved E. coli survival rate in media containing ampicillin, kanamycin and erythromycin but not phleomycin. The results suggest that prodigiosin acts as a bacteriostatic agent in E. coli cells. If prodigiosin was diluted, cells resumed growth. The results indicate that prodigiosin has distinct mode of antibacterial action in different bacteria.

  15. Viabilidad de Escherichia coli en presencia de diferentes contaminantes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antonio Rivera T

    2006-04-01

    Full Text Available La contaminación en ríos condiciona la presencia de microorganismos adaptados al ecosistema entre ellos a patógenos de importancia en salud pública. Objetivo: Determinar la viabilidad de Escherichia coli en presencia de nitrato de plata, carbonato de amonio, fenol y formaldehído. Materiales y métodos: Se tomaron muestras de agua del río Alseseca, que luego se sembró en medios de cultivo selectivos para enterobacterias, seleccionándose las colonias del género Escherichia, las cuales fueron sembradas en el medio de orientación CHROMagar ECC. Las muestras de E. coli se evaluaron en presencia de nitrato de plata, carbonato de amonio, fenol y formaldehído. Resultados: El grupo experimental presentó viabilidad en presencia de los cuatro compuestos, el grupo control positivo presentó nula viabilidad, la comparación entre los grupos mostró diferencia significativa (p< 0,05. Conclusión: Los aislamientos de E. coli mostraron viabilidad, implicando riesgos para el ecosistemas y la salud, ya que el río Alseseca atraviesa por el municipio de Puebla donde existen núcleos poblacionales importantes.

  16. in Escherichia coli with native cholesterol oxidase expressed

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The structure and bio-activity of an endogenous cholesterol oxidase from Brevibacterium sp. was compared to the same enzyme exogenously expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) with and without N- or C-terminal his-tags. The different proteins were purified with affinity and subtractive protocols. The specific activity of ...

  17. Transport proteins promoting Escherichia coli pathogenesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Fengyi; Saier, Milton H.

    2014-01-01

    Escherichia coli is a genetically diverse species infecting hundreds of millions of people worldwide annually. We examined seven well-characterized E. coli pathogens causing urinary tract infections, gastroenteritis, pyelonephritis and haemorrhagic colitis. Their transport proteins were identified and compared with each other and a non-pathogenic E. coli K12 strain to identify transport proteins related to pathogenesis. Each pathogen possesses a unique set of protein secretion systems for export to the cell surface or for injecting effector proteins into host cells. Pathogens have increased numbers of iron siderophore receptors and ABC iron uptake transporters, but the numbers and types of low-affinity secondary iron carriers were uniform in all strains. The presence of outer membrane iron complex receptors and high-affinity ABC iron uptake systems correlated, suggesting co-evolution. Each pathovar encodes a different set of pore-forming toxins and virulence-related outer membrane proteins lacking in K12. Intracellular pathogens proved to have a characteristically distinctive set of nutrient uptake porters, different from those of extracellular pathogens. The results presented in this report provide information about transport systems relevant to various types of E. coli pathogenesis that can be exploited in future basic and applied studies. PMID:24747185

  18. Transport proteins promoting Escherichia coli pathogenesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Fengyi; Saier, Milton H

    2014-01-01

    Escherichia coli is a genetically diverse species infecting hundreds of millions of people worldwide annually. We examined seven well-characterized E. coli pathogens causing urinary tract infections, gastroenteritis, pyelonephritis and haemorrhagic colitis. Their transport proteins were identified and compared with each other and a non-pathogenic E. coli K12 strain to identify transport proteins related to pathogenesis. Each pathogen possesses a unique set of protein secretion systems for export to the cell surface or for injecting effector proteins into host cells. Pathogens have increased numbers of iron siderophore receptors and ABC iron uptake transporters, but the numbers and types of low-affinity secondary iron carriers were uniform in all strains. The presence of outer membrane iron complex receptors and high-affinity ABC iron uptake systems correlated, suggesting co-evolution. Each pathovar encodes a different set of pore-forming toxins and virulence-related outer membrane proteins lacking in K12. Intracellular pathogens proved to have a characteristically distinctive set of nutrient uptake porters, different from those of extracellular pathogens. The results presented in this report provide information about transport systems relevant to various types of E. coli pathogenesis that can be exploited in future basic and applied studies. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. HUBUNGAN PERSONAL HYGIENE DENGAN KEBERADAAN ESCHERICHIA COLI PADA MAKANAN DI TEMPAT PENGOLAHAN MAKANAN (TPM BUFFER AREA BANDARA ADI SOEMARMO SURAKARTA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fitka Romanda

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Keberadaan Escherichia coli dalam sumber air atau makanan merupakan indikasi pasti terjadinya  kontaminasi tinja manusia. Kontaminasi ini dapat berdampak pada Kejadian Luar Biasa keracunan makanan di negara berkembang, termasuk di Indonesia. Adanya kontaminasi Escherichia coli pada makanan dapat disebabkan faktor personal hygiene penjamah makanan yang kurang baik. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui adanya hubungan personal hygiene penjamah makanan dengan Escherichia coli. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode observasional dengan pendekatan cross sectional. Subyek penelitian adalah 65 penjamah makanan dan 65 sampel makanan di 22 tempat pengolahan makanan buffer area Bandara Adi Soemarmo Surakarta. Hasil penelitian menunjukan adanya hubungan personal hygiene dengan keberadaan Escherichia coli pada makanan di Tempat Pengolahan Makanan Buffer Area Bandara Adi Soemarmo Surakarta dengan uji statistik dengan Chi Square didapatkan p value (0,000 dan kekuatan hubungan sedang dengan nilai C (0,477. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian, disimpulkan terdapat hubungan personal hygiene penjamah makanan dengan keberadaan Escherichia coli pada makanan di tempat pengolahan makanan (TPM buffer area Bandara Adi Soemarmo Surakarta.   Kata kunci. Personal Hygiene, Escherichia coli, Buffer Area

  20. Genome Sequences of Two Copper-Resistant Escherichia coli Strains Isolated from Copper-Fed Pigs

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lüthje, Freja L.; Hasman, Henrik; Aarestrup, Frank Møller

    2014-01-01

    The draft genome sequences of two copper-resistant Escherichia coli strains were determined. These had been isolated from copper-fed pigs and contained additional putative operons conferring copper and other metal and metalloid resistances.......The draft genome sequences of two copper-resistant Escherichia coli strains were determined. These had been isolated from copper-fed pigs and contained additional putative operons conferring copper and other metal and metalloid resistances....

  1. Biomolecular Mechanisms of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli Biofilm Formation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laverty, Garry; Gorman, Sean P.; Gilmore, Brendan F.

    2014-01-01

    Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli are the most prevalent Gram-negative biofilm forming medical device associated pathogens, particularly with respect to catheter associated urinary tract infections. In a similar manner to Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-negative biofilm formation is fundamentally determined by a series of steps outlined more fully in this review, namely adhesion, cellular aggregation, and the production of an extracellular polymeric matrix. More specifically this review will explore the biosynthesis and role of pili and flagella in Gram-negative adhesion and accumulation on surfaces in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli. The process of biofilm maturation is compared and contrasted in both species, namely the production of the exopolysaccharides via the polysaccharide synthesis locus (Psl), pellicle Formation (Pel) and alginic acid synthesis in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and UDP-4-amino-4-deoxy-l-arabinose and colonic acid synthesis in Escherichia coli. An emphasis is placed on the importance of the LuxR homologue sdiA; the luxS/autoinducer-II; an autoinducer-III/epinephrine/norepinephrine and indole mediated Quorum sensing systems in enabling Gram-negative bacteria to adapt to their environments. The majority of Gram-negative biofilms consist of polysaccharides of a simple sugar structure (either homo- or heteropolysaccharides) that provide an optimum environment for the survival and maturation of bacteria, allowing them to display increased resistance to antibiotics and predation. PMID:25438014

  2. Biomolecular Mechanisms of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli Biofilm Formation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Garry Laverty

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli are the most prevalent Gram-negative biofilm forming medical device associated pathogens, particularly with respect to catheter associated urinary tract infections. In a similar manner to Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-negative biofilm formation is fundamentally determined by a series of steps outlined more fully in this review, namely adhesion, cellular aggregation, and the production of an extracellular polymeric matrix. More specifically this review will explore the biosynthesis and role of pili and flagella in Gram-negative adhesion and accumulation on surfaces in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli. The process of biofilm maturation is compared and contrasted in both species, namely the production of the exopolysaccharides via the polysaccharide synthesis locus (Psl, pellicle Formation (Pel and alginic acid synthesis in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and UDP-4-amino-4-deoxy-l-arabinose and colonic acid synthesis in Escherichia coli. An emphasis is placed on the importance of the LuxR homologue sdiA; the luxS/autoinducer-II; an autoinducer-III/epinephrine/norepinephrine and indole mediated Quorum sensing systems in enabling Gram-negative bacteria to adapt to their environments. The majority of Gram-negative biofilms consist of polysaccharides of a simple sugar structure (either homo- or heteropolysaccharides that provide an optimum environment for the survival and maturation of bacteria, allowing them to display increased resistance to antibiotics and predation.

  3. Effect of visible range electromagnetic radiations on Escherichia coli ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Background: Escherichia coli is the agent responsible for a range of clinical diseases. With emerging antimicrobial resistance, other treatment options including solar/photo-therapy are becoming increasingly common. Visible Range Radiation Therapy/Colour Therapy is an emerging technique in the field of ...

  4. Expression and purification of recombinant hemoglobin in Escherichia coli

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Natarajan, Chandrasekhar; Jiang, Xiaoben; Fago, Angela

    2011-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Recombinant DNA technologies have played a pivotal role in the elucidation of structure-function relationships in hemoglobin (Hb) and other globin proteins. Here we describe the development of a plasmid expression system to synthesize recombinant Hbs in Escherichia coli, and we describe...

  5. Inactivation of Escherichia coli by titanium dioxide photocatalytic oxidation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Titanium dioxide in the anatase crystalline form was used as a photocatalyst to generate hydroxyl radicals in a flowthrough water reactor. Experiments were performed on pure cultures of Escherichia coli in dechlorinated tap water and a surface water sample to evaluate the disinfe...

  6. Effect of enrofloxacin treatment on plasma endotoxin during bovine Escherichia coli mastitis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dosogne, H.; Meyer, E.; Sturk, A.; van Loon, J.; Massart-Leën, A. M.; Burvenich, C.

    2002-01-01

    OBJECTIVE AND DESIGN: To investigate the effect of enrofloxacin on endotoxin resorption during bovine Escherichia coli mastitis. ANIMALS: 12 healthy early post partum Holstein cows. TREATMENT: Mastitis was induced by intramammary infusion of 10(4) cfu E. coli P4:032. Six cows were treated twice

  7. Urothelial CD44 facilitates Escherichia coli infection of the murine urinary tract

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rouschop, Kasper M. A.; Sylva, Marc; Teske, Gwendoline J. D.; Hoedemaeker, Inge; Pals, Steven T.; Weening, Jan J.; van der Poll, Tom; Florquin, Sandrine

    2006-01-01

    Escherichia coli is the most common pathogen found in urinary tract infections (UTIs), mainly affecting children and women. We report that CD44, a hyaluronic acid (HA) binding protein that mediates cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions, facilitates the interaction of E. coli with urothelial cells

  8. Sos - response induction by gamma radiation in Escherichia coli strains with different repair capacities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Serment Guerrero, J.H.

    1992-01-01

    The Sos - response in Escherichia coli is formed by several genes involved in mechanisms of tolerance and/or repair, and only activates when a DNA - damage appears. It is controlled by recA and lexA genes. In normal circumstances, LexA protein is linked in every Sos operators, blocking the transcription. When a DNA damage occurs, a Sos signal is generated, Rec A protein changes its normal functions, starts acting as a protease and cleaves Lex A, allowing the transcription of all Sos genes. This response can be quantified by means of Sos Chromo test, performed by Quillardet and Ofnung (1985). In using the Chromo test, it has been observed that the DNA damage made by gamma radiation in Escherichia coli depends on both the doses and the doses rate. It has been shown that the exposure of Escherichia coli PQ37 strain (uvrA) to low doses at low dose rate appears to retard the response, suggesting the action of a repair mechanism. (Brena 1990). In this work, we compare the response in Escherichia coli strains deficient in different mechanisms of repair and/or tolerance. It is observed the importance of rec N gene in the repair of DNA damage produced by gamma radiation. (Author)

  9. An engineered non-oxidative glycolysis pathway for acetone production in Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Xiaoyan; Yuan, Qianqian; Zheng, Yangyang; Ma, Hongwu; Chen, Tao; Zhao, Xueming

    2016-08-01

    To find new metabolic engineering strategies to improve the yield of acetone in Escherichia coli. Results of flux balance analysis from a modified Escherichia coli genome-scale metabolic network suggested that the introduction of a non-oxidative glycolysis (NOG) pathway would improve the theoretical acetone yield from 1 to 1.5 mol acetone/mol glucose. By inserting the fxpk gene encoding phosphoketolase from Bifidobacterium adolescentis into the genome, we constructed a NOG pathway in E.coli. The resulting strain produced 47 mM acetone from glucose under aerobic conditions in shake-flasks. The yield of acetone was improved from 0.38 to 0.47 mol acetone/mol glucose which is a significant over the parent strain. Guided by computational analysis of metabolic networks, we introduced a NOG pathway into E. coli and increased the yield of acetone, which demonstrates the importance of modeling analysis for the novel metabolic engineering strategies.

  10. Inactivation of Escherichia coli in soil by solarization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu, S.; Nishihara, M.; Kawasaki, Y.; Yokoyama, A.; Matsuura, K.; Koga, T.; Ueno, D.; Inoue, K.; Someya, T.

    2009-01-01

    Contamination of agricultural soil by fecal pathogenic bacteria poses a potential risk of infection to humans. For the biosafety control of field soil, soil solarization in an upland field was examined to determine the efficiency of solarization on the inactivation of Escherichia coli inoculated into soil as a model microorganism for human pathogenic bacteria. Soil solarization, carried out by sprinkling water and covering the soil surface with thin plastic sheets, greatly increased the soil temperature. The daily average temperature of the solarized soil was 4–10°C higher than that of the non-solarized soil and fluctuated between 31 and 38°C. The daily highest temperature reached more than 40°C for 8 days in total in the solarized soil during the second and third weeks of the experiment. Escherichia coli in the solarized soil became undetectable (< 0.08 c.f.u. g −1 dry soil) within 4 weeks as a result, whereas E. coli survived for more than 6 weeks in the non-solarized soil. Soil solarization, however, had little influence on the total direct count and total viable count of bacteria in the soil. These results indicate that soil solarization would be useful for the biosafety control of soil contaminated by human pathogens via immature compost or animal feces. (author)

  11. The new allelic variant of the subtilase cytotoxin (subAB2) is common among Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli strains from large game animals and their meat and meat products.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sánchez, Sergio; Díaz-Sánchez, Sandra; Martínez, Remigio; Llorente, María Teresa; Herrera-León, Silvia; Vidal, Dolors

    2013-10-25

    Subtilase cytotoxin (SubAB) is an AB5 toxin produced by Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains usually lacking the eae gene product intimin. Two allelic variants of SubAB encoding genes have been described: subAB1, located on a plasmid, and subAB2, located on a pathogenicity island (PAI) together with tia gene. While subAB1 has been reported to be more frequent among bovine strains, subAB2 has been mainly associated with strains from small ruminants. We investigated the presence of the two variants of subAB among 59 eae-negative STEC from large game animals (deer and wild boar) and their meat and meat products in order to assess the role of other species in the epidemiology of subAB-positive, eae-negative STEC. For this approach, the strains were PCR-screened for the presence of subAB, including the specific detection of both allelic variants, for the presence of saa, tia and sab, and for stx subtyping. Overall, subAB genes were detected in 71.2% of the strains: 84.1% of the strains from deer and 33.3% of the strains from wild boar. Most of them (97.6%) possessed subAB2 and most of these subAB2-positive strains (92.7%) were also positive for tia and negative for saa, suggesting the presence of the subAB2-harbouring PAI. Subtype stx2b was present in most of the strains (67.8%) and a statistically significant association could be established between subAB2 and stx2b. Our results suggest that large game animals, mainly deer, may represent an important animal reservoir of subAB2-positive, eae-negative STEC, and also highlight the risk of human infection posed by the consumption of large game meat and meat products. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. The asymptomatic bacteriuria Escherichia coli strain 83972 outcompetes uropathogenic E. coli strains in human urine

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hancock, Viktoria; Ulett, G.C.; Schembri, M.A.

    2006-01-01

    Escherichia coli is the most common organism associated with asymptomatic bacteriuria (ABU). In contrast to uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC), which causes symptomatic urinary tract infections (UTI), very little is known about the mechanisms by which these strains colonize the human urinary tract....... The prototype ABU E. coli strain 83972 was originally isolated from a girl who had carried it asymptomatically for 3 years. Deliberate colonization of UTI-susceptible individuals with E. coli 83972 has been used successfully as an alternative approach for the treatment of patients who are refractory...... to conventional therapy. Colonization with strain 83972 appears to prevent infection with UPEC strains in such patients despite the fact that this strain is unable to express the primary adhesins involved in UTI, viz. P and type 1 fimbriae. Here we investigated the growth characteristics of E. coli 83972 in human...

  13. Protein disulfide bond generation in Escherichia coli DsbB–DsbA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Inaba, Kenji

    2008-01-01

    The crystal structure of the DsbB–DsbA–ubiquinone ternary complex has revealed a mechanism of protein disulfide bond generation in Escherichia coli. Protein disulfide bond formation is catalyzed by a series of Dsb enzymes present in the periplasm of Escherichia coli. The crystal structure of the DsbB–DsbA–ubiquinone ternary complex provided important insights into mechanisms of the de novo disulfide bond generation cooperated by DsbB and ubiquinone and of the disulfide bond shuttle from DsbB to DsbA. The structural basis for prevention of the crosstalk between the DsbA–DsbB oxidative and the DsbC–DsbD reductive pathways has also been proposed

  14. Epidemiology of 3rd generation cephalosporin-resistant Escherichia coli on dairy farms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dairy cattle have been identified as a reservoir for 3rd generation cephalosporin (3GC)-resistant Escherichia coli. We previously identified 3GC-resistant E. coli from manure composite samples of calves and cows in a survey of 80 farms in Pennsylvania. Resistant strains were most frequently isolated...

  15. UV irradiation alters deoxynucleoside triphosphate pools in Escherichia coli

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Das, S.K.; Loeb, L.A.

    1984-01-01

    UV irradiation of exponentially growing Escherichia coli increased intracellular concentration of dATP and dTTP without significantly changing the concentrations of dGTP and dCTP. These selective increases in dATP and dTTP pools are seen in wild-type E. coli K12 and AB1157, as well as in recA and umuC strains, and are proportional to UV dose. The possible significance of these findings with respect to induction of the SOS response and nontargeted mutagenesis are discussed. (orig.)

  16. The Escherichia coli antiterminator protein BglG stabilizes the 5 ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Unknown

    Keywords. Antitermination; mRNA stability; RNA binding protein ... factor, Rho, and the pBR322 copy number protein, Rop, have been .... Transcription analysis using the oligo- ..... Retarded RNA turnover in Escherichia coli a means of main-.

  17. Sub-typing of extended-spectrum-β-lactamase-producing isolates from a nosocomial outbreak: application of a 10-loci generic Escherichia coli multi-locus variable number tandem repeat analysis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nahid Karami

    Full Text Available Extended-spectrum β-lactamase producing Escherichia coli (ESBL-E. coli were isolated from infants hospitalized in a neonatal, post-surgery ward during a four-month-long nosocomial outbreak and six-month follow-up period. A multi-locus variable number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA, using 10 loci (GECM-10, for 'generic' (i.e., non-STEC E. coli was applied for sub-species-level (i.e., sub-typing delineation and characterization of the bacterial isolates. Ten distinct GECM-10 types were detected among 50 isolates, correlating with the types defined by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE, which is recognized to be the 'gold-standard' method for clinical epidemiological analyses. Multi-locus sequence typing (MLST, multiplex PCR genotyping of bla CTX-M, bla TEM, bla OXA and bla SHV genes and antibiotic resistance profiling, as well as a PCR assay specific for detecting isolates of the pandemic O25b-ST131 strain, further characterized the outbreak isolates. Two clusters of isolates with distinct GECM-10 types (G06-04 and G07-02, corresponding to two major PFGE types and the MLST-based sequence types (STs 131 and 1444, respectively, were confirmed to be responsible for the outbreak. The application of GECM-10 sub-typing provided reliable, rapid and cost-effective epidemiological characterizations of the ESBL-producing isolates from a nosocomial outbreak that correlated with and may be used to replace the laborious PFGE protocol for analyzing generic E. coli.

  18. Increasing the permeability of Escherichia coli using MAC13243

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Muheim, Claudio; Götzke, Hansjörg; Eriksson, Anna U.

    2017-01-01

    molecules that make the outer membrane of Escherichia coli more permeable. We identified MAC13243, an inhibitor of the periplasmic chaperone LolA that traffics lipoproteins from the inner to the outer membrane. We observed that cells were (1) more permeable to the fluorescent probe 1-N...

  19. Escherichia coli O26 IN RAW BUFFALO MILK: PRELIMINARY RESULTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Rella

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available Escherichia coli O26 is considered to be one of the most important food-borne pathogen. In this study, 120 buffalo milk samples collected in Lazio and in Apulia regions were tested for the presence of E. coli O26. One buffalo milk sample (0,8% tested positive for E. coli O26; the isolate was positive at the verocytotoxicity test and it showed resistance properties to different antimicrobial classes. These preliminary results highlight the need to monitor the foods of animal origin used for production and eaten by a wide range of persons, respect VTEC organism.

  20. Diarrhea, Urosepsis and Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome Caused by the Same Heteropathogenic Escherichia coli Strain

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ang, C. Wim; Bouts, Antonia H. M.; Rossen, John W. A.; van der Kuip, Martijn; van Heerde, Marc; Bökenkamp, Arend

    2016-01-01

    We describe an 8-month-old girl with diarrhea, urosepsis and hemolytic uremic syndrome caused by Escherichia coli. Typing of cultured E. coli strains from urine and blood revealed the presence of virulence factors from multiple pathotypes of E. coli. This case exemplifies the genome plasticity of E.

  1. Temporal stability of Escherichia coli concentration patterns in two irrigation ponds in Maryland

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fecal contamination of water sources is an important water quality issue for agricultural irrigation ponds. Escherichia coli is a common microbial indicator used to evaluate recreational and irrigation water quality. We hypothesized that there is a temporally stable pattern of E.coli concentrations ...

  2. Influence of bromouracil density labelling on viability of UV irradiated Escherichia coli cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Brozmanova, J [Slovenska Akademia Vied, Bratislava (Czechoslovakia). Vyskumny Ustav Onkologicky

    1976-01-01

    Influence of 5-bromouracil cultivation on cell viability and DNA synthesis in the Escherichia coli B/r thy/sup -/ trp/sup -/ Hcr/sup +/ and Escherichia coli C thy-321 strains was followed. It was found that a 120 min cultivation in the bromouracil medium (unirradiated cells) does not essentially influence the viability of the two investigated strains but has an inhibitory effect on DNA synthesis in cells of the E. coli B/r Hcr/sup +/ strain. However, cultivation with bromouracil after ultraviolet irradiation leads to a decreased surviving ability of the irradiated cells of both investigated strains. Repair of damage induced by ultraviolet radiation probably exhausts a considerable proportion of repair activity, so that additional injury produced by bromouracil cultivation cannot be liquidated immediately.

  3. Phylogenetic analysis of Escherichia coli isolates from healthy and diarrhoeic calves in Mashhad, Iran

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Barzan

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Escherichia coli is a normal inhabitant of the gastrointestinal tract of vertebrates. Certain Escherichia coli strains have been associated with neonatal diarrhoea in ruminants. These strains can be assigned to one of the four main phylogenetic groups, A, B1, B2 and D. Several studies have shown the rela-tionship between phylogeny and pathogenicity of E. coli, a great deal can be obtained by determining the phylogroup of unknown E. coli strains. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the influence of diar-rhoea on the genetic composition of E. coli populations isolated from calves. A total of 80 Es-cherichia coli isolates were obtained from healthy and diarrhoeic calves. Phylogenetic grouping was done based on the Clermont triplex PCR method using primers targeted at three genetic markers, chuA, yjaA and TspE4.C2. According to our results, phylogenetic group A strains was the most prevalent in both healthy (37.5% and diarrhoeic calves (55%. Group B1 contained 27.5% of isolates in healthy calves, followed by group B2 (17.5%, and group D (7.5%. Also, four isolates from healthy calves were not included in the major phylogenetic groups or subgroups. A total of 14% and 4% of isolates from diarrhoeic calves beloned to phylogroups B2 and D respectively. Although no isolate from diarrhoeic calves was found to belong to group B1, there was no significant difference between healthy and diarrhoeic calves for other phylogroups. There was not a dramatic shift in E. coli phylogroup/subgroup due to occurrence of diarrhoea in calves, except for phylogroup B1 which was higher in healthy calves. This can be due to the difference in secretions of digestive system in diarrhoeic calves which can prevent the conditions for instability of Escherichia coli isolates of phy-logroup B1. The majority of isolates from both healthy and diarrhoeic calves belonged to non-pathogenic phylogentic group A and B1.

  4. DNA microarray analysis of fim mutations in Escherichia coli

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schembri, Mark; Ussery, David; Workman, Christopher

    2002-01-01

    Bacterial adhesion is often mediated by complex polymeric surface structures referred to as fimbriae. Type I fimbriae of Escherichia coli represent the archetypical and best characterised fimbrial system. These adhesive organelles mediate binding to D-mannose and are directly associated...... we have used DNA microarray analysis to examine the molecular events involved in response to fimbrial gene expression in E. coli K-12. Observed differential expression levels of the fim genes were in good agreement with our current knowledge of the stoichiometry of type I fimbriae. Changes in fim...

  5. Alterations induced in Escherichia Coli cells by gamma radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kappke, J.; Schelin, H.R.; Paschuk, S.A.; Denyak, V.; Silva, E.R. da; Jesus, E.F.O. de; Lopes, R.T.; Carlin, N.; Toledo, E.S.

    2007-01-01

    Modifications occurred in Escherichia coli cells exposed to gamma radiation ( 60 Co source) were investigated. The irradiations were done at the LIN-COPPE laboratory of the UFRJ and the analysis at the Biology Department of the UTFPR. The E. coli cells were irradiated with 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, 210, 240, 300, 480, 600 e 750 Gy doses. The samples were analyzed with Gram-stain, biochemical tests in EPM, MIO and Lysine Broth, Simmons Cytrate Medium and Rhamnose Broth, antibiogram and isolation of auxotrophic mutants. It was observed that for the received doses the E. coli did not show morphological alterations in the tests. Some E. Coli cells showed to be able to deaminade the L-tryptophan or they changed their sensibility for amoxillin and cephaloonine after the irradiation. The existence of aauxotrophic mutants after irradiation was also verified. (author)

  6. Lon gene and photoprotection in Escherichia coli K-12

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Waksman, G.; Thomas, G.; Favre, A. (Institut de Recherche en Biologie Moleculaire, Group de Photobiologie Moleculaire, Paris (France))

    1984-03-01

    Photoprotection, i.e. the increased resistance of the cells preilluminated with near ultraviolet light (300-380 nm) to the lethal action of 254nm radiations requires either an integrated prophage or a recA mutation in Escherichia coli K12 strains. Significant photoprotection occurs in an Escherichia coli K12 recA/sup +/ cell containing the lon allele responsible for filamentous growth after 254nm irradiation. The Fil phenotype can be suppressed by the sfiA or sfiB suppressor genes. Since the E. coli K12 recA/sup +/ lon sfiB strain exhibits no more photoprotection, it is concluded that in lon strains photoprotection is due to the abolition of the 254nm induced filamentation by the near ultraviolet treatment. In addition, near ultraviolet illumination of the cells leads to a severe restriction of the bulk protein synthesis. This effect is observed only in nuv/sup +/ cells that contain 4-thiouridine the chromophore responsible for photoprotection. It is proposed that in lon (lysogenic strains) photoprotection is due to prevention of the SOS response. During the growth lag, the low residual level of protein synthesis does not allow the induction of the SOS response and accordingly prevents filamentation (the lytic cycle).

  7. Multiple Antimicrobial Resistance of Escherichia coli Isolated from Chickens in Iran.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Talebiyan, Reza; Kheradmand, Mehdi; Khamesipour, Faham; Rabiee-Faradonbeh, Mohammad

    2014-01-01

    Antimicrobial agents are used extremely in order to reduce the great losses caused by Escherichia coli infections in poultry industry. In this study, 318 pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) strains isolated from commercial broiler flocks with coli-septicemia were examined for antimicrobials of both veterinary and human significance by disc diffusion method. Multiple resistances to antimicrobial agents were observed in all the isolates. Resistance to the antibiotics was as follows: Tylosin (88.68%), Erythromycin (71.70%), Oxytetracycline (43.40%), Sulfadimethoxine-Trimethoprim (39.62%), Enrofloxacin (37.74%), Florfenicol (35.85%), Chlortetracycline (33.96%), Doxycycline (16.98%), Difloxacin (32.08%), Danofloxacin (28.30%), Chloramphenicol (20.75%), Ciprofloxacin (7.55%), and Gentamicin (5.66%). This study showed resistance against the antimicrobial agents that are commonly applied in poultry, although resistance against the antibiotics that are only applied in humans or less frequently used in poultry was significantly low. This study emphasizes on the occurrence of multiple drug resistant E. coli among diseased broiler chickens in Iran. The data revealed the relative risks of using antimicrobials in poultry industry. It also concluded that use of antibiotics must be limited in poultry farms in order to reduce the antibiotic resistances.

  8. Multiple Antimicrobial Resistance of Escherichia coli Isolated from Chickens in Iran

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Reza Talebiyan

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Antimicrobial agents are used extremely in order to reduce the great losses caused by Escherichia coli infections in poultry industry. In this study, 318 pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC strains isolated from commercial broiler flocks with coli-septicemia were examined for antimicrobials of both veterinary and human significance by disc diffusion method. Multiple resistances to antimicrobial agents were observed in all the isolates. Resistance to the antibiotics was as follows: Tylosin (88.68%, Erythromycin (71.70%, Oxytetracycline (43.40%, Sulfadimethoxine-Trimethoprim (39.62%, Enrofloxacin (37.74%, Florfenicol (35.85%, Chlortetracycline (33.96%, Doxycycline (16.98%, Difloxacin (32.08%, Danofloxacin (28.30%, Chloramphenicol (20.75%, Ciprofloxacin (7.55%, and Gentamicin (5.66%. This study showed resistance against the antimicrobial agents that are commonly applied in poultry, although resistance against the antibiotics that are only applied in humans or less frequently used in poultry was significantly low. This study emphasizes on the occurrence of multiple drug resistant E. coli among diseased broiler chickens in Iran. The data revealed the relative risks of using antimicrobials in poultry industry. It also concluded that use of antibiotics must be limited in poultry farms in order to reduce the antibiotic resistances.

  9. Energetics of sodium efflux from Escherichia coli

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Borbolla, M.G.; Rosen, B.P.

    1984-01-01

    When energy-starved cells of Escherichia coli were passively loaded with 22 Na+, efflux of sodium could be initiated by addition of a source of metabolic energy. Conditions were established where the source of energy was phosphate bond energy, an electrochemical proton gradient, or both. Only an electrochemical proton gradient was required for efflux from intact cells. These results are consistent with secondary exchange of Na+ for H+ catalyzed by a sodium/proton antiporter

  10. Antibiotic resistance profile of Escherichia coli isolated from five ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Information on the resistance profiles of clinical and non clinical human bacteria isolates in the developing countries can serve as important means of understanding the human pathogens drug resistance interactions in the zone. Escherichia coli isolated from five geopolitical zones of Nigeria were screened for anti-microbial ...

  11. Occurrence of Escherichia coli in Brassica rapa L. chinensis ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Low quality water has become valuable resource with restricted or unrestricted use in food production depending on its quality. This study has quantified the occurrence of Escherichia coli in Brassica rapa L. chinensis (Chinese cabbage) vegetables and low quality irrigation water. A total of 106 samples including Chinese ...

  12. Prevalence of Escherichia coli virulence genes in patients with ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    In this study, we investigated the prevalence of the virulence genes specific for five major pathogroups of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (DEC) in primary cultures from diarrhoeagenic patients in Burkina Faso. Methodology: From September 2016 to Mars 2017, a total of 211 faecal samples from diarrhoeagenic patients from ...

  13. THE WIDESPREAD OCCURRENCE OF THE ENTEROHEMOLYSIN GENE EHLYA AMONG ENVIRONMENTAL STRAINS OF ESCHERICHIA COLI

    Science.gov (United States)

    The putative virulence factor enterohemolysin, encoded for by the ehlyA gene, has been closely associated with the pathogenic enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) group. E. coli isolates from effluents from seven geographically dispersed municipal ...

  14. Screening for virulence genes in Escherichia coli O157:H7 obtained ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Eighty (80) sources of drinking water comprising boreholes (24), streams (3), wells (29), pipe-borne (5) and 19 sachet water samples were collected between March 2014 and February 2015. Escherichia coli (E.coli) O157:H7 was isolated by enrichment in Tryptone soy broth at elevated temperature and streaking on Eosin ...

  15. beta-Chloro-L-alanine inhibition of the Escherichia coli alanine-valine transaminase.

    OpenAIRE

    Whalen, W A; Wang, M D; Berg, C M

    1985-01-01

    beta-Chloro-L-alanine, an amino acid analog which inhibits a number of enzymes, reversibly inhibited the Escherichia coli K-12 alanine-valine transaminase, transaminase C. This inhibition, along with the inhibition of transaminase B, accounted for the isoleucine-plus-valine requirement of E. coli in the presence of beta-chloro-L-alanine.

  16. Formate detection by potassium permanganate for enhanced hydrogen production in Escherichia coli

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Maeda, Toshinari [Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, 220 Jack E. Brown Building, Texas A and M University, College Station, TX 77843-3122 (United States); Wood, Thomas K. [Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, 220 Jack E. Brown Building, Texas A and M University, College Station, TX 77843-3122 (United States); Department of Biology, Texas A and M University, College Station, TX 77843-3258 (United States); Zachry Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Texas A and M University, College Station, TX 77843-3136 (United States)

    2008-05-15

    Mutagenesis of Escherichia coli for hydrogen production is difficult since there is no high-throughput screen. Here we describe a method for rapid detection of enhanced hydrogen production by engineered strains by detecting formate via potassium permanganate; in E. coli, hydrogen is synthesized from formate using the formate hydrogen lyase system. (author)

  17. Fluoroquinolone-resistant Escherichia coli carriage in long-term care facility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maslow, Joel N; Lee, Betsy; Lautenbach, Ebbing

    2005-06-01

    We conducted a cross-sectional study to determine the prevalence of, and risk factors for, colonization with fluoroquinolone (FQ)-resistant Escherichia coli in residents in a long-term care facility. FQ-resistant E. coli were identified from rectal swabs for 25 (51%) of 49 participants at study entry. On multivariable analyses, prior FQ use was the only independent risk factor for FQ-resistant E. coli carriage and was consistent for FQ exposures in the previous 3, 6, 9, or 12 months. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis of FQ-resistant E. coli identified clonal spread of 1 strain among 16 residents. Loss (6 residents) or acquisition (7 residents) of FQ-resistant E. coli was documented and was associated with de novo colonization with genetically distinct strains. Unlike the case in the hospital setting, FQ-resistant E. coli carriage in long-term care facilities is associated with clonal spread.

  18. Is Escherichia coli urinary tract infection a zoonosis?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jacobsen, L.; Garneau, P.; Bruant, G.

    2012-01-01

    Recently, it has been suggested that the Escherichia coli causing urinary tract infection (UTI) may come from meat and animals. The purpose was to investigate if a clonal link existed between E. coli from animals, meat and UTI patients. Twenty-two geographically and temporally matched B2 E. coli...... from UTI patients, community-dwelling humans, broiler chicken meat, pork, and broiler chicken, previously identified to exhibit eight virulence genotypes by microarraydetection of approximately 300 genes, were investigated for clonal relatedness by PFGE. Nine isolates were selected and tested...... for in vivo virulence in the mouse model of ascending UTI. UTI and community-dwelling human strains were closely clonally related to meat strains. Several human derived strains were also clonally interrelated. All nine isolates regardless of origin were virulent in the UTI model with positive urine, bladder...

  19. Multiplex Genome Editing in Escherichia coli

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ingemann Jensen, Sheila; Nielsen, Alex Toftgaard

    2018-01-01

    Lambda Red recombineering is an easy and efficient method for generating genetic modifications in Escherichia coli. For gene deletions, lambda Red recombineering is combined with the use of selectable markers, which are removed through the action of, e.g., flippase (Flp) recombinase. This PCR......-based engineering method has also been applied to a number of other bacteria. In this chapter, we describe a recently developed one plasmid-based method as well as the use of a strain with genomically integrated recombineering genes, which significantly speeds up the engineering of strains with multiple genomic...

  20. Recombinant protein production data after expression in the bacterium Escherichia coli

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Enrique Cantu-Bustos

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Fusion proteins have become essential for the expression and purification of recombinant proteins in Escherichia coli. The metal-binding protein CusF has shown several features that make it an attractive fusion protein and affinity tag: "Expression and purification of recombinant proteins in Escherichia coli tagged with the metal-binding protein CusF" (Cantu-Bustos et al., 2016 [1]. Here we present accompanying data from protein expression experiments; we tested different protein tags, temperatures, expression times, cellular compartments, and concentrations of inducer in order to obtain soluble protein and low formation of inclusion bodies. Additionally, we present data from the purification of the green fluorescent protein (GFP tagged with CusF, using Ag(I metal affinity chromatography.

  1. Optimizing the feeding operation of recombinant Escherichia coli ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Recombinant Escherichia coli BL21 was used to produce human-like collagen in fed-batch culture. After building and analyzing the kinetic models of fed-batch cultures, the maximum specific growth rate, Yx/s and Yp/s were 0.411 h-1 , 0.428 g·g-1 and 0.0716 g/g, respectively. The square error of cell growth models, glucose ...

  2. ANALISIS CEMARAN BAKTERI Escherichia coli ANALISIS CEMARAN BAKTERI Escherichia coli ANALISIS CEMARAN BAKTERI Escherichia coli

    OpenAIRE

    ANGGREINI, RAHAYU

    2015-01-01

    2015 RAHAYU ANGGREINI coli Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk melakukan identifikasi cemaran bakteri E. coli O157:H7 pada daging sapi di kota Makassar. Sampel pada penelitian ini sebanyak 72 sampel Kata Kunci : Daging sapi, pasar tradisional, E. coli, E. coli O157:H7, kontaminasi bakteri, identifikasi E. coli O157:H7.

  3. Sequencing of Escherichia coli that cause persistent and transient Mastitis

    Science.gov (United States)

    The genomes of two strains of Escherichia coli that cause bovine mastitis were sequenced. These strains are known to be associated with persistent and transient mastitis: strain ECA-B causes a transient infection, and ECC-M leads to a persistent infection....

  4. Escherichia coli and other Enterobacteriaceae: Food poisoning and health effects

    Science.gov (United States)

    The family Enterobactericeae consists of rod-shaped, Gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic, non-spore forming bacteria and also includes the food-borne pathogens, Cronobacter spp., Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, Shigella spp., and Yersinia spp. Illness caused by these pathogens is acquired...

  5. Analysis of early-onset bloodstream infection due to Escherichia coli infection in premature babies

    OpenAIRE

    Chen, I-Lun; Huang, Hsin-Chun; Wu, Chih-Te; Ou-Yang, Mei-Chen; Chung, Mei-Yung; Chen, Chih-Cheng; Suen, Jau-Ling; Hung, Chih-Hsing

    2017-01-01

    Abstract In early-onset bacteremia among preterm neonates, Escherichia coli (E. coli) is the main pathogen and can cause a high mortality rate. Thus, the predictive factors of mortality and extended-spectrum ?-lactamase (ESBL)-producing E. coli in preterm babies with E. coli early-onset bacteremia were reported. We retrospectively reviewed preterm neonates who had E. coli bacteremia occurring within 3 days after birth between 2004 and 2015. Maternal and perinatal information were collected fr...

  6. Recent Advances in Understanding Enteric Pathogenic Escherichia coli

    Science.gov (United States)

    Croxen, Matthew A.; Law, Robyn J.; Scholz, Roland; Keeney, Kristie M.; Wlodarska, Marta

    2013-01-01

    SUMMARY Although Escherichia coli can be an innocuous resident of the gastrointestinal tract, it also has the pathogenic capacity to cause significant diarrheal and extraintestinal diseases. Pathogenic variants of E. coli (pathovars or pathotypes) cause much morbidity and mortality worldwide. Consequently, pathogenic E. coli is widely studied in humans, animals, food, and the environment. While there are many common features that these pathotypes employ to colonize the intestinal mucosa and cause disease, the course, onset, and complications vary significantly. Outbreaks are common in developed and developing countries, and they sometimes have fatal consequences. Many of these pathotypes are a major public health concern as they have low infectious doses and are transmitted through ubiquitous mediums, including food and water. The seriousness of pathogenic E. coli is exemplified by dedicated national and international surveillance programs that monitor and track outbreaks; unfortunately, this surveillance is often lacking in developing countries. While not all pathotypes carry the same public health profile, they all carry an enormous potential to cause disease and continue to present challenges to human health. This comprehensive review highlights recent advances in our understanding of the intestinal pathotypes of E. coli. PMID:24092857

  7. Transcriptome Changes of Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, and Escherichia coli O157:H7 Laboratory Strains in Response to Photo-Degraded DOM

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adelumola Oladeinde

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available In this study, we investigated gene expression changes in three bacterial strains (Escherichia coli C3000, Escherichia coli O157:H7 B6914, and Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212, commonly used as indicators of water quality and as control strains in clinical, food, and water microbiology laboratories. Bacterial transcriptome responses from pure cultures were monitored in microcosms containing water amended with manure-derived dissolved organic matter (DOM, previously exposed to simulated sunlight for 12 h. We used RNA sequencing (RNA-seq and quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase (qRT-PCR to compare differentially expressed temporal transcripts between bacteria incubated in microcosms containing sunlight irradiated and non-irradiated DOM, for up to 24 h. In addition, we used whole genome sequencing simultaneously with RNA-seq to identify single nucleotide variants (SNV acquired in bacterial populations during incubation. These results indicate that E. coli and E. faecalis have different mechanisms for removal of reactive oxygen species (ROS produced from irradiated DOM. They are also able to produce micromolar concentrations of H2O2 from non-irradiated DOM, that should be detrimental to other bacteria present in the environment. Notably, this study provides an assessment of the role of two conjugative plasmids carried by the E. faecalis and highlights the differences in the overall survival dynamics of environmentally-relevant bacteria in the presence of naturally-produced ROS.

  8. Photoinactivation of mcr-1 positive Escherichia coli

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caires, C. S. A.; Leal, C. R. B.; Rodrigues, A. C. S.; Lima, A. R.; Silva, C. M.; Ramos, C. A. N.; Chang, M. R.; Arruda, E. J.; Oliveira, S. L.; Nascimento, V. A.; Caires, A. R. L.

    2018-01-01

    The emergence of plasmid-mediated colistin resistance in Enterobacteriaceae, mostly in Escherichia coli due to the mcr-1 gene, has revealed the need to develop alternative approaches in treating mcr-1 positive bacterial infections. This is because colistin is a broad-spectrum antibiotic and one of the ‘last-resort’ antibiotics for multidrug resistant bacteria. The present study evaluated for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, the efficacy of photoinactivation processes to kill a known mcr-1 positive E. coli strain. Eosin methylene-blue (EMB) was investigated as a photoantimicrobial agent for inhibiting the growth of a mcr-1 positive E. coli strain obtained from a patient with a diabetic foot infection. The photoantimicrobial activity of EMB was also tested in a non-multidrug resistant E. coli strain. The photoinactivation process was tested using light doses in the 30-45 J cm-2 range provided by a LED device emitting at 625 nm. Our findings demonstrate that a mcr-1 positive E. coli strain is susceptible to photoinactivation. The results show that the EMB was successfully photoactivated, regardless of the bacterial multidrug resistance; inactivating the bacterial growth by oxidizing the cells in accordance with the generation of the oxygen reactive species. Our results suggest that bacterial photoinactivation is an alternative and effective approach to kill mcr-1 positive bacteria.

  9. D10 value determination for Escherichia coli O157:H7 in different cultivations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oliveira, Sergio Eduardo M. de; Pires, Luis Fernando G.; Vital, Helio de C.

    2002-01-01

    Escherichia coli serum type O157:H7 is a highly pathogenic bacterium. Inside the human body, that microorganism causes a disease that leads to bloody diarrhea, stoppage of kidney functions and clots in the brain. That type of infection has been related to the consumption of different varieties of foods, mainly meat and other products of animal origin. Irradiation is an efficient method for elimination of pathogenic and spoiling microorganisms in foods. Thus, this work investigates the use of gamma irradiation for elimination of Escherichia coli O157:H7. For that purpose, inoculated samples in trypticase soy broth and saline solution 0,85% media were exposed to several gamma radiation doses. Counting the number of surviving bacteria yielded the following D 10 values for Escherichia coli O157:H7: 98±7 Gy, in trypticase soy broth and 49±4 Gy in saline solution 0,85% medium. (author)

  10. Genomic Comparative Study of Bovine Mastitis Escherichia coli.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kempf, Florent; Slugocki, Cindy; Blum, Shlomo E; Leitner, Gabriel; Germon, Pierre

    2016-01-01

    Escherichia coli, one of the main causative agents of bovine mastitis, is responsible for significant losses on dairy farms. In order to better understand the pathogenicity of E. coli mastitis, an accurate characterization of E. coli strains isolated from mastitis cases is required. By using phylogenetic analyses and whole genome comparison of 5 currently available mastitis E. coli genome sequences, we searched for genotypic traits specific for mastitis isolates. Our data confirm that there is a bias in the distribution of mastitis isolates in the different phylogenetic groups of the E. coli species, with the majority of strains belonging to phylogenetic groups A and B1. An interesting feature is that clustering of strains based on their accessory genome is very similar to that obtained using the core genome. This finding illustrates the fact that phenotypic properties of strains from different phylogroups are likely to be different. As a consequence, it is possible that different strategies could be used by mastitis isolates of different phylogroups to trigger mastitis. Our results indicate that mastitis E. coli isolates analyzed in this study carry very few of the virulence genes described in other pathogenic E. coli strains. A more detailed analysis of the presence/absence of genes involved in LPS synthesis, iron acquisition and type 6 secretion systems did not uncover specific properties of mastitis isolates. Altogether, these results indicate that mastitis E. coli isolates are rather characterized by a lack of bona fide currently described virulence genes.

  11. Modeling the inactivation of Escherichia coli 0157:H7 and uropathogenic E.coli in ground chicken by high pressure processing and thymol

    Science.gov (United States)

    Disease causing Escherichia coli commonly found in meat and poultry include intestinal pathogenic E. coli (iPEC) as well as extraintestinal types such as the Uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC). In this study we compare the resistance of iPEC (O157:H7) to UPEC in chicken meat using High Pressure Processing...

  12. Modeling the inactivatin of Escherichia coli 0157:H7 and uropathogenic E. coli in ground beef by high pressure processing and citral

    Science.gov (United States)

    Disease causing Escherichia coli commonly found in meat and poultry include intestinal pathogenic E. coli (iPEC) as well as extraintestinal types such as the Uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC). In this study we compared the resistance of iPEC (O157:H7) to UPEC in ground beef using High Pressure Processing...

  13. Genetic analysis of an Escherichia coli urease locus: evidence of DNA rearrangement.

    OpenAIRE

    Collins, C M; Falkow, S

    1988-01-01

    Ureolytic Escherichia coli strains are uncommon clinical isolates. The urease phenotype in a large percentage of these isolates is unstable and lost upon storage. We examined two urease-positive uropathogenic E. coli isolates that give off urease-negative segregants and determined that the urease phenotype was chromosomally encoded. The urease phenotype was cloned from E. coli 1021 and found to be encoded on a 9.4-kilobase HindIII restriction fragment. Transposon mutagenesis indicated that at...

  14. Peptide nucleic acid (PNA) antisense effects in Escherichia coli

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Good, L; Nielsen, P E

    1999-01-01

    Antisense peptide nucleic acid (PNA) can be used to control cell growth, gene expression and growth phenotypes in the bacteria Escherichia coli. PNAs targeted to the RNA components of the ribosome can inhibit translation and cell growth, and PNAs targeted to mRNA can limit gene expression with gene...... and sequence specificity. In an E. coli cell extract, efficient inhibition is observed when using PNA concentrations in the nanomolar range, whereas micromolar concentrations are required for inhibition in growing cells. A mutant strain of E. coli that is more permeable to antibiotics also is more susceptible...... to antisense PNAs than the wild type. This chapter details methods for testing the antisense activities of PNA in E. coli. As an example of the specific antisense inhibition possible, we show the effects of an anti-beta-galactosidase PNA in comparison to control PNAs. With improvements in cell uptake...

  15. Escherichia coli bacteraemia in patients with and without haematological malignancies

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Olesen, B; Kolmos, H J; Orskov, F

    1998-01-01

    We compared serotypes, virulence factors and susceptibility to antibiotics of Escherichia coli strains isolated from 282 patients with bacteraemia. Thirty-five of these were neutropenic patients with haematological malignancy and 247 were patients with a normal or raised total white blood cell co...

  16. Properties of in situ Escherichia coli -D-glucuronidase (GUS ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    A study of the activity of Escherichia coli -D-glucuronidase (GUS) in polluted stagnant and running water samples was performed with an objective of assessing the viability of a direct marker enzyme assay as a suitable alternative to membrane filtration for the indication of faecal pollution in water intended for drinking ...

  17. Physiological responses of Escherichia coli to far-ultraviolet radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Swenson, P.A.

    1976-01-01

    The following topics are reviewed: photochemical damage to DNA; measurement of cell survival; DNA repair processes and genetics of radiation sensitivity; degradation of DNA and RNA; biochemical and physiological consequences; reactivation of bacteriophage in Escherichia coli cells; filament formation; influence of growth phase on survival after uv irradiation; and post-uv-irradiation treatment

  18. Novel roles for the AIDA adhesin from diarrheagenic Escherichia coli:

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sherlock, Orla; Schembri, Mark; Reisner, A.

    2004-01-01

    Diarrhea-causing Escherichia coli strains are responsible for numerous cases of gastrointestinal disease and constitute a serious health problem throughout the world. The ability to recognize and attach to host intestinal surfaces is an essential step in the pathogenesis of such strains. AIDA...... binds to mammalian cells. Here, we show that AIDA possesses self-association characteristics and can mediate autoaggregation of E. coli cells. We demonstrate that intercellular AIDA-AIDA interaction is responsible for bacterial autoaggregation. Interestingly, AIDA-expressing cells can interact...

  19. Escherichia coli : host interactions in the pathogenesis of canine pyometra

    OpenAIRE

    Henriques, Sofia Correia Rosa de Barros

    2016-01-01

    Tese de Doutoramento em Ciências Veterinárias na Especialidade de Ciências Biológicas e Biomédicas Canine pyometra develops as a result of a complex interaction of etiological and physiopathological factors, such as the virulence and type of the bacteria and the individual host defence mechanisms. Since Escherichia coli is the most common bacterium isolated from uterus of bitches with pyometra, one main objective of this work was to characterize E. coli virulence potential, and...

  20. Distinct inflammatory and cytopathic characteristics of Escherichia coli isolates from inflammatory bowel disease patients

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Stina Rikke; Mirsepasi-Lauridsen, Hengameh Chloé; Thysen, Anna Hammerich

    2015-01-01

    Escherichia coli (E. coli) may be implicated in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), as implied from a higher prevalence of mucosa-associated E. coli in the gut of IBD-affected individuals. However, it is unclear whether different non-diarrheagenic E. coli spp. segregate from eac...

  1. Dark fermentative hydrogen and ethanol production from biodiesel waste glycerol using a co-culture of Escherichia coli and Enterobacter sp.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Maru, B.T.; López, F.; Kengen, S.W.M.; Constantí, M.; Medina, F.

    2016-01-01

    In previous comparative studies, Enterobacter spH1 was selected as the best hydrogen and ethanol producer (Knothe, 2010). Here, glycerol fermentation was compared between three other strains: Escherichia coli CECT432, Escherichia coli CECT434 and Enterobacter cloacae MCM2/1. E. coli CECT432 was

  2. Incidence of Escherichia coli in black walnut meats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meyer, M T; Vaughn, R H

    1969-11-01

    Examination of commercially shelled black walnut meats showed inconsistent numbers of total aerobic bacteria, coliforms, and Escherichia coli; variation occurred among different meat sizes and within each meat size. The incidence of E. coli on meats of commercially hulled black walnuts depended on the physical condition of the nuts. Apparently tightly sealed ones contained only a few or none, whereas those with visibly separated sutures and spoiled meats yielded the most. This contamination was in part correlated to a hulling operation. Large numbers of E. coli on the husk of the walnuts contaminated the hulling water, subsequently also contaminating the meats by way of separated sutures. Chlorination of the hulling wash water was ineffective. Attempts were made to decontaminate the walnut meats without subsequent deleterious changes in flavor or texture. A treatment in coconut oil at 100 C followed by removal of excess surface oil by centrifugation was best.

  3. THE ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF WATER APPLE LEAVES ACTIVE COMPOUND (Syzygium zeylanicum AGAINST Escherichia coli AND Staphylococcus aureus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    - Hamidah

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Escherichia coli is one of the bacteria that cause infections in the human digestive tract such as diarrhea, while Staphylococcus aureus is one of the bacteria that cause infections in the skin injury such as boils and pimples. This study used Syzygium zeylanicum leaves because it has potential as a antibacterial because it contains active compounds. This study aimed was determine the antibacterial activity of the fraction and the active compound in Syzygium zeylanicum leaves against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Research conducted on November 2015 to January 2016. The method used in this research were extraction by maceration, fractionation by liquid fractionation, antibacterial activity test, and determination of minimum inhibitory concentration with the diffusion method and isolation of active compounds by column chromatography method. The bacteria used in this test are Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Data are presented in tabular form based on the average value of the inhibition diameter and deviation standard. The results of this research showed the water methanol active fraction against the bacteria that used in this test. The methanol water fraction had obtained one antibacterial compound in bottle 1,3,5 which shows the value of tannin Rf 0,416. The minimum inhibitory concentration of water methanol of water apple leaves is 1000 µg/mL for Escherichia coli and 500 µg/mL for  Staphylococcus aureus. The minimum  inhibitory concentration of the active  compound  to  Escherichia  coli  and  Staphylococcus  aureus  in  500  µg/mL.  The fraction and the active compound of water apple leaves have an antibacterial activity with Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus and the active compound is tannin.

  4. 77 FR 58091 - Risk-Based Sampling of Beef Manufacturing Trimmings for Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 and...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-09-19

    ... for exposure of carcasses and parts to any contamination or food safety hazard during the removal of... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Food Safety and Inspection Service [Docket No. FSIS-2012-0020] Risk-Based Sampling of Beef Manufacturing Trimmings for Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 and Plans for Beef...

  5. Engineering Escherichia coli for methanol conversion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Müller, Jonas E N; Meyer, Fabian; Litsanov, Boris; Kiefer, Patrick; Potthoff, Eva; Heux, Stéphanie; Quax, Wim J; Wendisch, Volker F; Brautaset, Trygve; Portais, Jean-Charles; Vorholt, Julia A

    2015-03-01

    Methylotrophic bacteria utilize methanol and other reduced one-carbon compounds as their sole source of carbon and energy. For this purpose, these bacteria evolved a number of specialized enzymes and pathways. Here, we used a synthetic biology approach to select and introduce a set of "methylotrophy genes" into Escherichia coli based on in silico considerations and flux balance analysis to enable methanol dissimilation and assimilation. We determined that the most promising approach allowing the utilization of methanol was the implementation of NAD-dependent methanol dehydrogenase and the establishment of the ribulose monophosphate cycle by expressing the genes for hexulose-6-phosphate synthase (Hps) and 6-phospho-3-hexuloisomerase (Phi). To test for the best-performing enzymes in the heterologous host, a number of enzyme candidates from different donor organisms were selected and systematically analyzed for their in vitro and in vivo activities in E. coli. Among these, Mdh2, Hps and Phi originating from Bacillus methanolicus were found to be the most effective. Labeling experiments using (13)C methanol with E. coli producing these enzymes showed up to 40% incorporation of methanol into central metabolites. The presence of the endogenous glutathione-dependent formaldehyde oxidation pathway of E. coli did not adversely affect the methanol conversion rate. Taken together, the results of this study represent a major advancement towards establishing synthetic methylotrophs by gene transfer. Copyright © 2015 International Metabolic Engineering Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Genes and proteins of Escherichia coli (GenProtEc).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riley, M; Space, D B

    1996-01-01

    GenProtEc is a database of Escherichia coli genes and their gene products, classified by type of function and physiological role and with citations to the literature for each. Also present are data on sequence similarities among E.coli proteins with PAM values, percent identity of amino acids, length of alignment and percent aligned. The database is available as a PKZip file by ftp from mbl.edu/pub/ecoli.exe. The program runs under MS-DOS on IMB-compatible machines. GenProtEc can also be accessed through the World Wide Web at URL http://mbl.edu/html/ecoli.html.

  7. The green alga, Cladophora, promotes Escherichia coli growth and contamination of recreational waters in Lake Michigan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vanden Heuvel, Amy; McDermott, Colleen; Pillsbury, Robert; Sandrin, Todd; Kinzelman, Julie; Ferguson, John; Sadowsky, Michael; Byappanahalli, Muruleedhara; Whitman, Richard; Kleinheinz, Gregory T

    2010-01-01

    A linkage between Cladophora mats and exceedances of recreational water quality criteria has been suggested, but not directly studied. This study investigates the spatial and temporal association between Escherichia coli concentrations within and near Cladophora mats at two northwestern Lake Michigan beaches in Door County, Wisconsin. Escherichia coli concentrations in water underlying mats were significantly greater than surrounding water (p Cladophora mats had lower E. coli concentrations, but surpassed EPA swimming criteria the majority of sampling days. A significant positive association was found between E. coli concentrations attached to Cladophora and in underlying water (p Cladophora mats from beach areas may improve aesthetic and microbial water quality at affected beaches. These associations and potential natural growth of E. coli in bathing waters call into question the efficacy of using E. coli as a recreational water quality indicator of fecal contaminations.

  8. Escherichia coli clearance after splenic autotransplants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marques, R.G.; Petroianu, A.; Oliveira, M.B.N.; Bernardo-Filho, M.; Portela, M.C.

    2002-01-01

    Background: Splenic autotransplantation seems to be the only alternative for preservation of splenic tissue, after total splenectomy. The present study was carried out to analyze Escherichia coli depuration by mononuclear phagocyte system organs after total splenectomy and splenic autotransplantation. Methods: We utilized an experimental model including young and adult Wistar rats, of both sexes, submitted to total splenectomy and splenic autotransplantation. The evaluation method was intravenous inoculation of a suspension of Escherichia coli labeled with technetium-99m. We analyzed bacteria uptake by mononuclear phagocyte system organs and bacteria remnant in the bloodstream. Results: There was no difference between young and adult animals in bacteria uptake by mononuclear phagocyte system organs. In the comparison of groups, it was found out that the mean percent uptake by spleen and liver of animals in the control group was higher than that observed for animals with splenic implants. However, bacteria uptake in the lung was higher in the splenic implant group than in the control group. Although spleen bacteria uptake in the control group animals has been higher than that of animals in the splenic implant group, the remnant bacteria in the bloodstream was similar. Animals submitted to isolated total splenectomy showed higher bacteria remnant in the bloodstream than animals of the control group or the group submitted to total splenectomy combined with splenic autotransplantation. Conclusion: Our results indicate that autogenous splenic implant is efficacious in bacteria depuration in rats, by means of their macrophages phagocytosis. In addition, it does not modify bacteria removal function of liver and lung

  9. Antibiotic Sensitivity Profile of Escherichia coli Isolated from Poultry ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    A cross sectional study involving 300 cloaca swabs from apparently healthy birds from 8 small-medium scale poultry farms in Ibadan Oyo State was carried out. A total of 201 (67%) Escherichia coli isolates were recovered from the birds and they were subjected to in-vitro antibiotic sensitivity test by agar gel diffusion method.

  10. Complete Genome Sequence of Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli Siphophage Seurat.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doan, Dung P; Lessor, Lauren E; Hernandez, Adriana C; Kuty Everett, Gabriel F

    2015-02-26

    Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is one of the leading causes of diarrhea in developing countries. Bacteriophage therapy has the potential to aid in the prevention and treatment of ETEC-related illness. To that end, we present here the complete genome of ETEC siphophage Seurat and describe its major features. Copyright © 2015 Doan et al.

  11. Effects of substitutions at position 180 in the Escherichia coli RNA ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Escherichia coli RNA polymerase, two mutant variants of the protein with substitutions for either alanine or glutamic .... promoter signals utilized for in vitro transcription assays and ..... free recombinant protein using a self-cleavable affinity tag.

  12. Escherichia coli as other Enterobacteriaceae: food poisoning and health effects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Many Escherichia coli strains are harmless, and they are an important commensal in the intestinal microflora; however, pathogenic strains also exist. The pathogenic strains can be divided into diarrhea-inducing strains and strains that reside in the intestines but only cause disease in bodily sites...

  13. Production of jet fuel precursor monoterpenoids from engineered Escherichia coli

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mendez-Perez, Daniel; Alonso-Gutierrez, Jorge; Hu, Qijun

    2017-01-01

    ). FPP biosynthesis diverts the carbon flux from monoterpene production to C15 products and quinone biosynthesis. In this study, we tested a chromosomal mutation of Escherichia coli's native FPP synthase (IspA) to improve GPP availability for the production of monoterpenes using a heterologous mevalonate...

  14. Nature of transforming deoxyribonucleic acid in calcium-treated Escherichia coli

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Strike, P.; Humphreys, G.O.; Roberts, R.J.

    1979-01-01

    A study of the reactivation of ultraviolet-irradiated plasmid and phage deoxyribonucleic acid molecules after transformation into Escherichia coli strains indicated that, when double-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid was used as the donor species, it was taken up without conversion to the single-stranded form

  15. Comparative Genomics of Escherichia coli Strains Causing Urinary Tract Infections

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vejborg, Rebecca Munk; Hancock, Viktoria; Schembri, Mark A.

    2011-01-01

    The virulence determinants of uropathogenic Escherichia coli have been studied extensively over the years, but relatively little is known about what differentiates isolates causing various types of urinary tract infections. In this study, we compared the genomic profiles of 45 strains from a range...

  16. Effect of phytoplankton on Escherichia coli survival in laboratory microcosms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fecal contamination of water sources is an important water quality issue for agricultural irrigation ponds. Escherichia coli is a common microbial indicator used to evaluate recreational and irrigation water quality. Nuisance algae commonly grow in low- or no-flow irrigation water source The objecti...

  17. Kwantitatief gevoeligheidsonderzoek met intra- en extramurale isolaten van Escherichia coli

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Neeling AJ; de Jong J; Overbeek BP; de Bruin RW; Dessens-Kroon M; van Klingeren B

    1990-01-01

    Three Dutch laboratories for medical microbiology collected a total number of 1432 strains of Escherichia coli. Of these 995 were obtained from routine samples taken in clinic and policlinic, 290 had been sent spontaneously by general practitioners for microbiological examination and 147 had been

  18. Frecuencia y patotipos de Escherichia coli diarrogénicas en niños peruanos con y sin diarrea Frequency and pathotypes of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli in peruvian children with and without diarrhea

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Theresa J. Ochoa

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Introducción. Las E. coli diarrogénicas (DEC son una de las principales causas de diarrea en niños en países en vías de desarrollo. Sin embargo, no son rutinariamente diagnosticadas en los laboratorios clínicos. Objetivos. Determinar la prevalencia de las DEC en niños peruanos y describir la variabilidad genética de estas cepas. Materiales y métodos. Se utilizaron 8 003 cepas de E. coli previamente aisladas de ocho estudios previos de diarrea en niños, mayormente en zonas periurbanas de Lima. El diagnóstico de las DEC fue a través de un PCR múltiple a tiempo real para los seis grupos de DEC. Se empleó PCR para la determinación de genes adicionales de virulencia. Resultados. La prevalencia promedio global en muestras de diarrea (n=4 243 fue: E. coli enteroagregativa (EAEC 9,9%, enteropatogénica (EPEC 8,5%, enterotoxigénica (ETEC 6,9%, difusamente adherente (DAEC 4,8%, productora de toxina shiga (STEC 0,8% y enteroinvasiva (EIEC 0,6%. La frecuencia relativa de cada patógeno varía según la edad y tipo de estudio. Los principales patotipos en muestras control (n=3 760 fueron EPEC (10,9% y EAEC (10,4%. Se encontró una gran variabilidad en la frecuencia de genes de virulencia para cada patotipo, así como en los mecanismos moleculares de resistencia, sin diferencias significativas entre muestras de diarrea y control. Conclusiones. Las DEC son causa importante de diarrea en niños peruanos. Estos patógenos son altamente heterogéneos. Se requieren estudios adicionales para determinar la prevalencia en zonas rurales del Perú, así como en casos graves de diarrea.Introduction. Diarrheagenic E. coli (DEC are a major cause of diarrhea in children in developing countries. However, they are not part of routine diagnosis in clinical laboratories. Objectives. To determine the DEC prevalence in Peruvian children and to describe the genetic variability of these strains. Materials and methods. A total of 8 003 E. coli strains previously

  19. Emergence of colistin-resistant Escherichia coli clinical isolates harboring mcr-1 in Vietnam.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tada, Tatsuya; Nhung, Pham Hong; Shimada, Kayo; Tsuchiya, Mitsuhiro; Phuong, Doan Mai; Anh, Nguyen Quoc; Ohmagari, Norio; Kirikae, Teruo

    2017-10-01

    The mcr-1 was first detected on a plasmid in colistin-resistant Escherichia coli from livestock and patients in China. We described here the emergence of colistin-resistant E. coli clinical isolates harboring mcr-1 on the chromosomes in Vietnam. To our knowledge, this is the first report of hospital-acquired E. coli isolates harboring mcr-1 in a medical setting in Vietnam. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  20. Dynamics of Escherichia coli Chromosome Segregation during Multifork Replication

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Henrik Jørck; Youngren, Brenda; Hansen, Flemming G.

    2007-01-01

    Slowly growing Escherichia coli cells have a simple cell cycle, with replication and progressive segregation of the chromosome completed before cell division. In rapidly growing cells, initiation of replication occurs before the previous replication rounds are complete. At cell division, the chro......Slowly growing Escherichia coli cells have a simple cell cycle, with replication and progressive segregation of the chromosome completed before cell division. In rapidly growing cells, initiation of replication occurs before the previous replication rounds are complete. At cell division......, the chromosomes contain multiple replication forks and must be segregated while this complex pattern of replication is still ongoing. Here, we show that replication and segregation continue in step, starting at the origin and progressing to the replication terminus. Thus, early-replicated markers on the multiple......-branched chromosomes continue to separate soon after replication to form separate protonucleoids, even though they are not segregated into different daughter cells until later generations. The segregation pattern follows the pattern of chromosome replication and does not follow the cell division cycle. No extensive...