Occurrence and Characterization of Shiga Toxin–ProducingEscherichia coliin Raw Meat, Raw Milk, and Street Vended Juices in Bangladesh

Abstract

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.

Cholera Epidemic Associated with Consumption of Unsafe Drinking Water and Street-Vended Water—Eastern Freetown, Sierra Leone, 2012

“…Streetvended food and drink have previously been shown to harbor a wide variety of enteric pathogens including Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, Listeria, Salmonella, and V. cholerae. [24][25][26][27] Prevention of food-and waterborne disease from street vended food and beverages requires that vendors have access to safe water, hygiene, and sanitation facilities combined with information, education, and communication on safe food and water handling practices. 28 Instituting these activities in dense urban areas where street-vended foods are widely available and regularly consumed by much of the population may help prevent future cholera outbreaks.…”

Antimicrobial Resistance of Escherichia Coli Isolated From Milk, Beef and Chicken Meat in Bangladesh

“…Salauddin (2015) isolated E. coli in all the samples of broiler and found some isolates of E. coli were multi drug resistant. Islam et al (2010) characterize shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli in raw meat, raw milk in Bangladesh .Food borne diseases including colibacillosis are a significant and widespread global public health threat reported in Bangladesh (Samad, 2011;Zakaria et al, 2011). Hence the objectives of this study were to isolate and identify antimicrobial resistant E. coli from chicken meat, beef and milk samples in Bangladesh.…”

Toxigenic properties and stx phage characterization of Escherichia coli O157 isolated from animal sources in a developing country setting

“…The remaining 7 samples were isolated from 90 raw meat samples from the same slaughterhouse during the period from July 2006 to January 2007. Previous studies described details about isolation methods and sources of these strains [15, 16]. …”

“…In Bangladesh, there is a high prevalence of E. coli O157 in slaughtered animals especially in buffalo and cow [15]. Raw meats from these animals were also found contaminated with E. coli O157 [16]. Although diarrheal stool samples are not routinely tested for E. coli O157 in Bangladesh, several studies have indicated a very low prevalence of this organism among patients with diarrhea [17].…”