Prevalence of Shiga toxin-producing and Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli Isolated from Chicken Meat in the west of Iran

Abstract

Objective: Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is known as a crucial zoonotic foodborne pathogen. A total of 257 raw chicken meat samples were collected from different markets in Hamadan, west of Iran, from January 2016 to May 2017. The samples were cultured on selective and differential culture media and the virulence genes of E. coli isolates were analyzed by PCR assay. The antibiotic resistance patterns of E. coli isolates were determined by the disk diffusion method. The genetic relatedness of the E. coli O157 isolates was analyzed by ERIC-PCR. Results: In total, 93 (36%) of the isolates were identified as E. coli in this study. Based on serological and microbiological tests, 36 (38.7%), 7 (7.5%), and 12 (12.9%) of the E. coli isolates were characterized as STEC, Enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), and attaching and effacing E. coli (AEEC) strains, respectively. A high level of resistance to nalidixic acid (91.4%), tetracycline (89.8), ampicillin (82.8%), and sulfametoxazole-trimotoprime (71%) was detected among the E. coli isolates. The analysis of the ERIC-PCR results showed five different ERIC types among the E. coli O157 isolates. Based on our findings, control and check-up of poultry meats should be considered as a crucial issue for public health.