Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in slaughtered pigs and pork products


Submitted: 19 January 2017
Accepted: 31 March 2017
Published: 9 May 2017
Abstract Views: 1829
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Authors

  • Lia Bardasi Institute for Experimental Veterinary Medicine of Lombardy and Emilia Romagna, Bologna, Italy.
  • Roberta Taddei Institute for Experimental Veterinary Medicine of Lombardy and Emilia Romagna, Bologna, Italy.
  • Ilaria Fiocchi Institute for Experimental Veterinary Medicine of Lombardy and Emilia Romagna, Bologna, Italy.
  • Maria Francesca Pelliconi Institute for Experimental Veterinary Medicine of Lombardy and Emilia Romagna, Bologna, Italy.
  • Mattia Ramini Institute for Experimental Veterinary Medicine of Lombardy and Emilia Romagna, Bologna, Italy.
  • Elena Toschi Institute for Experimental Veterinary Medicine of Lombardy and Emilia Romagna, Bologna, Italy.
  • Giuseppe Merialdi Institute for Experimental Veterinary Medicine of Lombardy and Emilia Romagna, Bologna, Italy.
During the years 2015-2016, 83 faecal samples were collected at slaughter from pigs reared in farms located in Central- Northern Italy. During the years 2014-2016 a total of 562 pork products [465 not-ready-to-eat (NRTE) and 97 ready-to-eat (RTE) products] were collected from retail outlets, large retailers and processing plants. The samples were analysed according to ISO TS 13136:2012. Out of 83 swine faecal samples, 77 (92.8%) resulted stx-positive by real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), 5 stx2+ and 1 stx1+ Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains were isolated. Among the 465 NRTE samples, 65 (14.0%) resulted stx-positive by real time PCR and 7 stx2+ STEC strains were isolated. The stx2 gene was detected more frequently than the stx1 gene both in faecal samples (90.4 vs 8.4%) and in NRTE pork products (13.3 vs 1.3%). All the RTE samples included in the analysis resulted stxnegative. Among the samples resulted positive for stx and eae genes, serogroup-associated genes were detected at high frequency: O26 resulted the most frequent in faecal samples (81.3%) and O145 in pork products (88.1%). The O157 serogroup resulted positive in 83.3 and 78.1% of pork products and faecal samples, respectively. Despite the frequent detection by real time PCR of genes indicating the possible presence of STEC strains belonging to the six serogroups, the bacteriological step did not confirm the isolation of any such strains.

1.
Bardasi L, Taddei R, Fiocchi I, Pelliconi MF, Ramini M, Toschi E, Merialdi G. Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in slaughtered pigs and pork products. Ital J Food Safety [Internet]. 2017 May 9 [cited 2024 Mar. 28];6(2). Available from: https://www.pagepressjournals.org/ijfs/article/view/6584

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