A cohort study on shiga toxin producing E. coli o157:H7 isolated from some meat products in assiut governorate as a cause of bloody diarrhea in children

Abstract EN

The present study was conducted to investigate the presence of E.

coli especially E.

coli O157:H7 and to detect the presence of the stx1 and stx2 genes in isolates derived from a total of 80 samples including 20 samples each of frozen beef burgers, frozen sausages, beef burger sandwiches and sausage sandwiches.

The samples were randomly collected from retail supermarkets and restaurants in Assiut, Egypt.

In addition, 20 stool cultures collected from hospitalized children admitted in Assiut Pediatric University Hospital with history of diarrhea or fever.

E.

coli was detected in 9 (45%), 6 (30%), 1 (5%), 1 (5%) and 12 (60%) of frozen beef burgers, frozen sausages, beef burger sandwiches, sausage sandwiches and children stool samples, respectively.

E.

coli O157 was detected in eleven of the 100 (11%) samples tested (two from frozen beef burgers, three from frozen sausages, one from each of beef burger sandwiches and sausage sandwiches and four from children stool samples).

Whereas H7 gene was not detected in all E.

coli O157 positive samples, but, the genes stx1 and stx2 were detected in two E.

coli O157 isolates obtained from two frozen sausage samples.

The public health significance of this pathogen and consumer's safety were discussed.