AN INVESTIGATION OF ESCHERICHIA COLI O157: H7 AND stx1/stx2 GENE IN FAECES FROM CATTLE/DIARRHEIC PATIENTS AND SOME FOODS

Abstract

In this study, toxin genes in the 718 samples in total, feces samples of 110 diarrheic patients from University Hospital beside 103 salad samples, 106 sausage specimens, 162 raw milk, 237 animal feces gathered in Afyonkarahisar city, after pre-enrichment produces in the Cefixime-Tellurite Sorbitol MacConkey Agar, selecting colony that does not ferment sorbitol was defined by conventional methods and latex agglutination. In the results, from 13 cattle feces, four milk and one sausage samples totally total of 18 samples not contain of H antigen, including a number of E. coli O157 isolated, by Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT PCR) (ABI 7500 Fast, England), from the 16/18 strains (89%) stx1 and/or stx2 gene has been identified. Eventually, it is required to search for E. coli O157:H7 in patients with bloody stool. Good hygiene and hand washing before eating and preparing food is required to prevent contamination from contact with animals and their surroundings.