Prevalence and molecular characterisation of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in raw milk cheeses from Lazio region, Italy


Submitted: 10 July 2014
Accepted: 28 August 2015
Published: 9 December 2016
Abstract Views: 1687
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Authors

  • Selene Marozzi Institute for Experimental Veterinary Medicine of Lazio and Tuscany, Rome, Italy.
  • Paola De Santis Institute for Experimental Veterinary Medicine of Lazio and Tuscany, Rome, Italy.
  • Sarah Lovari Institute for Experimental Veterinary Medicine of Lazio and Tuscany, Rome, Italy.
  • Roberto Condoleo Institute for Experimental Veterinary Medicine of Lazio and Tuscany, Rome, Italy.
  • Stefano Bilei Institute for Experimental Veterinary Medicine of Lazio and Tuscany, Rome, Italy.
  • Rita Marcianò Lazio Region, Veterinary Health Section, Rome, Italy.
  • Ziad Mezher Institute for Experimental Veterinary Medicine of Lazio and Tuscany, Rome, Italy.
In recent years, the incidence of foodborne diseases caused by Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) has increased globally. For this reason, within the specific regional control plan for the detection of STEC in food products in Italy, the presence of STEC in unpasteurised milk cheeses was investigated. In total, 203 samples obtained from March 2011 to December 2013 were analysed, with two standard methods (ISO 16654:2001 and ISO 13136:2012). Two strains of E. coli O157 were isolated (2/161, 1.2%) but did not carry any virulence-associated genes and 22 stx-positive samples (22/146, 15.1%) were detected in enrichment cultures, mostly from ovine cheeses. Only two strains isolated from different ovine cheeses carried stx gene and none of these was eae-positive. This study confirms the presence of stx-positive E. coli and suggests that this type of food cannot be excluded as a potential vehicle of STEC.

1.
Marozzi S, De Santis P, Lovari S, Condoleo R, Bilei S, Marcianò R, Mezher Z. Prevalence and molecular characterisation of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in raw milk cheeses from Lazio region, Italy. Ital J Food Safety [Internet]. 2016 Dec. 9 [cited 2024 Mar. 28];5(1). Available from: https://www.pagepressjournals.org/ijfs/article/view/ijfs.2016.4566

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