Isolation and characterization E. coli O157:H7 from meat &cheese and detection of Stx1, Stx2, hlyA, eaeA by using multiplex PCR

Abstract

total of 189 samples were collected from 74 raw uncooked minced beef meat, 115 local white cheeses from 3 different areas in Baghdad. All samples were surveyed and examined for the presence of the Escherichia coli O157:H7 and differentiate it from other Non -Sorbitol Fermenting Escherichia coli (NSF E. coli). The Bacterial isolates were identified by using morphological diagnostic methods; Samples were cultured on liquid enrichment medium, incubated at 41.5Cº for 6 hrs, and then cultured on Cefixime Tellurite -Sorbitol MacConkey Agar (CT- SMAC). 66 non-sorbitol fermenting bacterial isolates were obtained of which 13 were identified as Escherichia coli from (6 meat and 7 cheese samples). By using traditional biochemical tests and Api20E diagnostic system without differentiation between serotype O157:H7 and other NSF E. coli isolates. Four specific biochemical tests (Cellobiose fermentation, β-Glocuronidase production, KCN and Enterohemolysin production) were done to differentiate serotype O157 differentiation from other NSF bacteria. Only 2 isolates belonging to the serotype O157 were obtained of which one isolate from meat and other isolate from cheese. Latex agglutination test for O157 and H7 showed that the 5 isolates gave positive results with both kits. The Bacterial isolates were identified by using Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction (MPCR) technology for the presence or absence of 4 genes (Stx1, Stx2, hlyA and eaeA) that encode for main virulence factors to diagnose E. coli O157:H7 isolated from various sources by using specific primers in mPCR. The result showed that gene content variety in two E. coli O157:H7 isolates, 1 from meat contain all 4 genes and other isolate from cheese contains 2 genes: Stx1 and hlyA .