The presence of E. coli enterohemorragic O157:H7 was inspected in 756 samples of frozen bovine meat imported from different countries, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Ireland and Uruguay, using the microbiological standard method of culture and serotyping technique. The pathogen strain of E. coli was detected in five samples (0.66 %). All the isolates were tested using the method of KIRBY and BAUER according to the nccls standards to view resistance to antibiotics and was considered sensitive to the sixteen antimicrobial agents tested. All isolates were further characterized by serotyping and molecular methodology. The PCR technique showed that all the strains carried the stx2 and the ehxA genes 1 isolate carried stx1 genes, 1 both stx1 and stx2. Intimin (eae c) virulence genes were detected in 4 isolates. The interaction with lactic acid bacteria revealed that all E. coli O157:H7 isolates were inhibited.
Escherichia coli O157:H7, stx1, stx2, eae c, ehxA, PCR, frozen bovine meat, Algeria
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