Year: 2022 | Month: August | 12 | 4

Characterization of E. coli Isolates from Meat Samples for Shiga Toxin Producing Virulence Markers

Chinta Siva Swetha1 Porteen Kannan1* A. Elango B.S.M. Ronald T.M.A. Senthil Kumar Amal Rose T.F.
DOI:10.30954/2277-940X.04.2022.17

Abstract:

The presence study was designed to identify shiga toxin producing E. coli Non O157:H7 isolates from meat samples, to detect the presence of virulence markers and to characterize isolates for ESBL resistance by PCR. A total of 150 meat samples (50 of each beef, chicken, and mutton) were collected from retail outlets in Chennai and subjected to conventional and molecular methods for isolation of E. coli. Out of 150 samples, 71 presumptive E. coli isolates recovered by conventional method, among which 61 isolates were confirmed by PCR targeting uspA. All these 61 isolates were tested for presence of virulence markers viz., stx1, stx2, eae, hlyA by multiplex PCR and found 45 isolates were harboured the virulence markers either in combination or alone. Further, all the shiga toxin E. coli isolates were streaked on CT-SMAC and found that 21 isolates had shown pink colour colonies representing them as E. coli non O157:H7. PCR assay of ESBL resistance genes revealed that 40 (66 %), 7 (11.5%), 37(60.7%) E. coli isolates were harbouring CTX-M gene, SHV and TEM genes. Presence of virulence markers in E. coli Non O157:H7 isolates coupled with ESBL resistance is a real threat to food safety and consumer point of view which warrants the need for devising intervention strategies to combat virulent and anti-microbial resistant E. coli at both household and industrial level.

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