Persistence of Escherichia coli on Injured Iceberg Lettuce in the Field, Overhead Irrigated with Contaminated Water

2009 ◽  
Vol 72 (3) ◽  
pp. 458-464 ◽  
Author(s):  
FIONA BARKER-REID ◽  
DEAN HARAPAS ◽  
SIEGFRIED ENGLEITNER ◽  
SIMONE KREIDL ◽  
ROBERT HOLMES ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Microbiological Quality ◽  
Contaminated Water ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Log Reduction ◽  
Iceberg Lettuce ◽  
Quality Of Water ◽  
Plant Injury ◽  
The Impact

Fresh produce is increasingly implicated in food-related illnesses. Escherichia coli can survive in soil and water and can be transferred onto plant surfaces through farm management practices such as irrigation. A trial was conducted to evaluate the impact of field conditions on E. coli persistence on iceberg lettuce irrigated with contaminated water, and the impact of plant injury on the persistence of E. coli. Lettuce heads were injured at 14, 7, 3, 2, 1, and 0 days before inoculation, with uninjured heads used as a control. All lettuce heads (including controls) were overhead irrigated with a mixture of nonpathogenic E. coli strains (107 CFU/ml). E. coli counts were measured on the day of inoculation and 5 days after, and E. coli was detected on all lettuce head samples. Injury immediately prior to inoculation and harvest significantly (P = 0.00067) increased persistence of E. coli on lettuce plants. Harsh environmental conditions (warm temperatures, limited rainfall) over 5 days resulted in a 2.2-log reduction in E. coli counts on uninjured lettuce plants, and lettuce plants injured more than 2 days prior to inoculation had similar results. Plants with more recent injuries (up to 2 days prior to inoculation) had significantly (P = 7.6 × 10−6) greater E. coli persistence. Therefore, growers should postpone contaminated water irrigation of lettuce crops with suspected injuries for a minimum of 2 days, or if unavoidable, use the highest microbiological quality of water available, to minimize food safety risks.

scholarly journals Microbiological quality of broiler carcasses during slaughter processing

2012 ◽  
Vol 81 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irena Svobodová ◽  
Gabriela Bořilová ◽  
Radka Hulánková ◽  
Iva Steinhauserová
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Microbial Contamination ◽  
Microbiological Quality ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Poultry Processing ◽  
One Year ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Processing Steps

Microbial contamination of poultry carcasses can be influenced by many factors during transport and slaughtering. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of four processing steps (plucking, evisceration, washing and chilling) on the total viable counts (TVC), counts ofEscherichia coli,Salmonellaspp. andListeriaspp. incidence on broiler carcasses. A total of 160 broiler carcasses originating from one farm were collected during one year period at a Czech slaughterhouse and examined. Both TVC andE. colicounts decreased during processing from 4.6 log cfu/cm2and 3.5 log cfu/cm2to 3.7 log cfu/cm2and 1.8 log cfu/cm2, respectively, with a major impact of washing on TVC and washing and chilling onE. colidecrease (P< 0.001). BothSalmonellaspp. (6 strains) andListeriaspp. (12 strains, none ofL. monocytogenes) were found sporadically in all processing steps followed. However, a decreasing trend was observed inSalmonellacounts andListeriaspp. incidence during the processing. Thus, this study brings new valuable information on the dynamics of microflora during modern poultry processing.

scholarly journals Molecular and phenotypic characterization of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli isolated from groundwater in rural areas in southern Brazil

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 597-608
Author(s):  
Caroline Rodrigues da Silva ◽  
Matheus Silva Sanches ◽  
Kawana Hiromori Macedo ◽  
Angélica Marim Lopes Dambrozio ◽  
Sergio Paulo Dejato da Rocha ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Microbiological Quality ◽  
Vero Cells ◽  
Phenotypic Characterization ◽  
Human Consumption ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Diarrheagenic Escherichia Coli ◽  
Quality Of Water

Abstract Water-borne diseases like diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (DEC)-induced gastroenteritis are major public health problems in developing countries. In this study, the microbiological quality of water from mines and shallow wells was analyzed for human consumption. Genotypic and phenotypic characterization of DEC strains was performed. A total of 210 water samples was analyzed, of which 153 (72.9%) contained total coliforms and 96 (45.7%) E. coli. Of the E. coli isolates, 27 (28.1%) contained DEC genes. The DEC isolates included 48.1% Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), 29.6% enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC), 14.9% enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), 3.7% enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC), and 3.7% enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC). All the STECs had cytotoxic effects on Vero cells and 14.8% of the DEC isolates were resistant to at least one of the antibiotics tested. All DEC formed biofilms and 92.6% adhered to HEp-2 cells with a prevalence of aggregative adhesion (74%). We identified 25 different serotypes. One EPEC isolate was serotype O44037:H7, reported for the first time in Brazil. Phylogenetically, 63% of the strains belonged to group B1. The analyzed waters were potential reservoirs for DEC and could act as a source for infection of humans. Preventive measures are needed to avoid such contamination.

Bactericidal Activity of Isothiocyanate against Pathogens on Fresh Produce†

2000 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
CHIA-MIN LIN ◽  
JEONGMOK KIM ◽  
WEN-XIAN DU ◽  
CHENG-I WEI
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Listeria Monocytogenes ◽  
Bactericidal Activity ◽  
Bactericidal Effect ◽  
Escherichia Coli O157 ◽  
Methyl Isothiocyanate ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Log Reduction ◽  
Iceberg Lettuce ◽  
Resistant Strains

The bactericidal activity of allyl and methyl isothiocyanate (AITC and MITC) was tested with a rifampicin-resistant strain of Salmonella Montevideo and streptomycin-resistant strains of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes Scott A. Iceberg lettuce inoculated with high (107 to 108 CFU/g) and low (103 to 104 CFU/g) concentrations of bacterial pathogens was treated with AITC and MITC in sealed containers at 4°C for 4 days. AITC showed stronger bactericidal activity than MITC against E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella Montevideo, whereas MITC showed stronger activity against L. monocytogenes than E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella Montevideo. Up to 8-log reduction occurred with E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella Montevideo on lettuce following treatment with vapor generated from 400 μl of AITC for 2 and 4 days, respectively. AITC was used to treat tomatoes inoculated with Salmonella Montevideo on stem scars and skin and apples inoculated with E. coli O157:H7 on stem scars. The bactericidal effect of AITC varied with bacteria species and exposure time. Salmonella Montevideo inoculated on tomato skin was more sensitive to AITC than that on stem scars. Treatment with vapor generated from 500 μl of AITC caused an 8-log reduction in bacteria on tomato skin but only a 5-log reduction on tomato stem scars. The bactericidal activity of AITC was weaker for E. coli O157:H7 on apple stem scars; only a 3-log reduction in bacteria occurred when 600 μl of AITC was used.

Inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 on Lettuce, Using Low-Energy X-Ray Irradiation

2010 ◽  
Vol 73 (3) ◽  
pp. 547-551 ◽  
Author(s):  
SANGHYUP JEONG ◽  
BRADLEY P. MARKS ◽  
ELLIOT T. RYSER ◽  
SCOTT R. MOOSEKIAN
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Microbial Inactivation ◽  
Low Energy ◽  
Escherichia Coli O157 ◽  
X Ray ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Log Reduction ◽  
Leafy Greens ◽  
Iceberg Lettuce ◽  
Dose Levels

Low-energy X-ray irradiation was assessed as a means of eliminating Escherichia coli O157:H7 on lettuce. Round-cut iceberg lettuce samples (2.54-cm diameter) were dip or spot inoculated with a three-strain cocktail of E. coli O157:H7, stored for 24 h at 4°C, and then irradiated at four dose levels up to 0.25 kGy using a prototype low-energy (70 kV) X-ray irradiator. E. coli O157:H7 survivors were quantified by plating on sorbitol MacConkey agar containing cefixime and tellurite. Dip inoculation yielded a D10-value of 0.040 ± 0.001 kGy, which is 3.4 times lower than a previously reported value of 0.136 kGy using gamma radiation. The D10-value for E. coli O157:H7 on spot-inoculated samples was 0.078 ± 0.008 kGy, which is about twice that of dip-inoculated samples. When 10 stacked leaves were irradiated from both sides, a dose of 0.2 kGy was achieved at the center of the stack with a surface dose of 1 kGy, corresponding to a ~5-log reduction of E. coli O157:H7 at the center of the stack. Based on these findings, low-energy X-ray irradiation appears to be a promising microbial inactivation strategy for leafy greens and potentially for other types of fresh produce.

Reduction of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella in Ground Beef Using Lactic Acid Bacteria and the Impact on Sensory Properties

2005 ◽  
Vol 68 (8) ◽  
pp. 1587-1592 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. SMITH ◽  
J. E. MANN ◽  
K. HARRIS ◽  
M. F. MILLER ◽  
M. M. BRASHEARS
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Lactic Acid ◽  
Lactic Acid Bacteria ◽  
Foodborne Pathogens ◽  
Ground Beef ◽  
Sensory Properties ◽  
Escherichia Coli O157 ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Log Reduction ◽  
The Impact

Studies were conducted to determine whether four strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) inhibited Escherichia coli O157: H7 and Salmonella in ground beef at 5°C and whether these bacteria had an impact on the sensory properties of the beef. The LAB consisted of frozen concentrated cultures of four Lactobacillus strains, and a cocktail mixture of streptomycin-resistant E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella were used as pathogens. Individual LAB isolates at 107 CFU/ml were added to tryptic soy broth containing a pathogen concentration of 105 CFU/ml. Samples were stored at 5°C, and pathogen populations were determined on days 0, 4, 8, and 12. After 4 days of storage, there were significant differences in numbers of both pathogens exposed to LAB isolates NP 35 and NP 3. After 8 and 12 days of storage, all LAB reduced populations of both pathogens by an average of 3 to 5 log cycles. A second study was conducted in vacuum-packaged fresh ground beef. The individual LAB isolates resulted in an average difference of 1.5 log cycles of E. coli O157:H7 after 12 days of storage, and Salmonella populations were reduced by an average of 3 log cycles. Following this study, a mixed concentrated culture was prepared from all four LAB and added to ground beef inoculated with pathogen at 108 CFU/g. After 3 days of storage, the mixed culture resulted in a 2.0-log reduction in E. coli O157:H7 compared with the control, whereas after 5 days of storage, a 3-log reduction was noted. Salmonella was reduced to nondetectable levels after day 5. Sensory studies on noninoculated samples that contained LAB indicated that there were no adverse effects of LAB on the sensory properties of the ground beef. This study indicates that adding LAB to raw ground beef stored at refrigeration temperatures may be an important intervention for controlling foodborne pathogens.

Penetration of Escherichia coli O157:H7 into Lettuce Tissues as Affected by Inoculum Size and Temperature and the Effect of Chlorine Treatment on Cell Viability

2000 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 434-440 ◽  
Author(s):  
KAZUE TAKEUCHI ◽  
JOSEPH F. FRANK
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Cell Viability ◽  
Fluorescein Isothiocyanate ◽  
Inoculum Size ◽  
Escherichia Coli O157 ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Cut Edge ◽  
Log Reduction ◽  
Iceberg Lettuce ◽  
Effect Of Chlorine

Penetration of Escherichia coli O157:H7 into iceberg lettuce tissues and the effect of chlorine treatment on cell viability were evaluated. Attachment of different inoculum levels (109, 108, and 107 CFU/ml) was examined by determining the number of cells at the surface and the cut edge of lettuce leaves (2 by 2 cm). E. coli O157:H7 attached preferentially to cut edges at all inoculum levels, with greater attachment per cm2 of lettuce at higher inoculum levels. A longer attachment time allowed more cells to attach at both sites. Immunostaining with a fluorescein isothiocyanate–labeled antibody revealed that cells penetrated into lettuce leaves from cut edges. Cells showed greater penetration when lettuce was held at 4°C compared with 7, 25, or 37°C and were detected at an average of 73.5 ± 16.0 μm below the surfaces of cut tissues. Penetrating cells were mostly found at the junction of lettuce cells. The viability of attached cells after treatment with 200 mg/liter (200 ppm) of free chlorine for 5 min was examined by plating on tryptic soy agar and by a nalidixic acid elongation method. Although chlorine treatment caused significant reduction in attachment (0.7- and 1.0-log reduction at surfaces and cut edges, respectively), cells remained attached at high numbers (7.9 and 8.1 log CFU/cm2 at surfaces and cut edges, respectively). Elongated cells were observed in stomata and within the tissues of the lettuce, indicating they were protected from contact with chlorine.

scholarly journals Evidence for Coexistence of Distinct Escherichia coli Populations in Various Aquatic Environments and Their Survival in Estuary Water

2013 ◽  
Vol 79 (15) ◽  
pp. 4684-4693 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Berthe ◽  
M. Ratajczak ◽  
O. Clermont ◽  
E. Denamur ◽  
F. Petit
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Microbiological Quality ◽  
Physicochemical Characteristics ◽  
Point Sources ◽  
Fecal Bacteria ◽  
Content Type ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Quality Of Water ◽  
Bodies Of Water

ABSTRACTEscherichia coli, a commensal bacterium from the intestinal tracts of humans and vertebrate animals, has been used as one of two bacterial indicators of fecal contamination, along with intestinal enterococci, to monitor the microbiological quality of water. However, water environments are now recognized as a secondary habitat where some strains can survive. We investigated the survival ofE. coliisolates collected from bodies of water in France exhibiting distinct profiles of contamination, defined according to the following criteria: vicinity of the point sources of contamination, land use, hydrology, and physicochemical characteristics of the receiving water. We selected 88E. colistrains among a collection of 352 strains to carry out a microcosm experiment in filtered estuarine water for 14 days at 10°C. The relationship between the survival ofE. colistrains and genotypic and phenotypic characteristics was analyzed. This work showed that distinctE. colisurvival types, able to survive from between 7 and 14 days to less than 2 days, coexisted in the water.E. coliisolates that rapidly lost their culturability were more frequently isolated in water recently contaminated by fecal bacteria of human origin, and most were multiresistant to antibiotics and harbored several virulence factors. In contrast, persistent strains able to survive from 4 to 14 days were more often found in water with low levels of fecal bacteria, belonged mainly to the B1 phylogroup, often harbored only one virulence factor,kspEorompT, and were able to grow at 7°C.

scholarly journals BCIG-SMAC medium and PMA-qPCR for differential detection of viable Escherichia coli in potable water

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rehan Deshmukh ◽  
Sunil Bhand ◽  
Utpal Roy
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Water Samples ◽  
Potable Water ◽  
Microbiological Quality ◽  
Differential Detection ◽  
Filtration Method ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Quality Of Water

Background and Objectives: Public health protection requires timely evaluation of pathogens in potable water to minimize outbreaks caused by microbial contaminations. The present study was aimed at assessing the microbiological quality of water obtained from Shantinagar (a rural area in the South Goa region of Goa, India) using 5-Bromo-4-Chloro-3-Indoxyl β-D-glu- curonide-Sorbitol MacConkey agar (BCIG-SMAC) medium and, propidium monoazide-quantitative polymerase chain reac- tion (PMA-qPCR) assay for differential detection and quantification of viable Escherichia coli cells in water samples. Materials and Methods: Membrane filtration method was used for both BCIG-SMAC medium and PMA-qPCR methods. To determine the efficiency of detection of viable cells, we first evaluated the PMA treatment protocol and established the standard calibration curves using previously reported primers. Results: PMA-qPCR detected as low as 7 femtograms of DNA of E. coli per qPCR reaction whereas the limit of detection (LOD) of BCIG-SMAC medium was 1.8 CFU/100mL. A total of 71 water samples spanning 2017-2018 have been analyzed using BCIG-SMAC medium and PMA-qPCR, of which 95.77% (68/71) and 7.04% (5/71) were found to be total E. coli and E. coli O157:H7, respectively. PMA-qPCR study showed the viable counts of total viable E. coli cells ranging from 3CFU/100mL to 8.2×102 CFU/100mL. The total E. coli CFU/100mL quantified by PMA-qPCR significantly exceeded (paired t-test; P<0.05) the number on BCIG-SMAC medium. Conclusion: The present study indicates that the microbiological quality of environmental water samples analyzed do not comply with the regulatory standard. Therefore, special attention is warranted to improve the overall portable quality of water in the perspective of public health.

Impact of Raw Materials and Processing Techniques on The Microbiological Quality of Egyptian Domiati Cheese

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Raw Materials ◽  
Microbiological Quality ◽  
Raw Milk ◽  
Plate Count ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Fresh Cheese ◽  
Processing Techniques ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Total Yeast

Domiati cheese is the most popular brand of cheese ripened in brine in the Middle East in terms of consumed quantities. This study was performed to investigate the impact of the microbiological quality of the used raw materials, the applied traditional processing techniques and ripening period on the quality and safety of the produced cheese. Three hundred random composite samples were collected from three factories at Fayoum Governorate, Egypt. Collected samples represent twenty-five each of: raw milk, table salt, calf rennet, microbial rennet, water, environmental air, whey, fresh cheese, ripened cheese & swabs from: worker hands; cheese molds and utensils; tanks. All samples were examined microbiologically for Standard Plate Count (SPC), coliforms count, Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) count, total yeast & mould count, presence of E. coli, Salmonellae and Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes). The mean value of SPC, coliforms, S. aureus and total yeast & mould counts ranged from (79×102 CFU/m3 for air to 13×108 CFU/g for fresh cheese), (7×102 MPN/ cm2 for tank swabs to 80×106 MPN/ml for raw milk), (9×102 CFU/g for salt to 69×106 CFU/g for fresh cheese) and (2×102 CFU/cm2 for hand swabs to 60×104 CFU/g for fresh cheese), respectively. Whereas, E. coli, Salmonella and L. monocytogenes failed to be detected in all examined samples. There were significant differences in all determined microbiological parameters (p ≤0.05) between fresh and ripened cheese which may be attributed to different adverse conditions such as water activity, pH, salt content and temperature carried out to improve the quality of the product.

scholarly journals Prevalence and Characterization of Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase-Producing Antibiotic-Resistant Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae in Ready-to-Eat Street Foods

Antibiotics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 850
Author(s):  
Shobha Giri ◽  
Vaishnavi Kudva ◽  
Kalidas Shetty ◽  
Veena Shetty
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Food Safety ◽  
Klebsiella Pneumoniae ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Significant Risk ◽  
Microbiological Quality ◽  
Resistant Bacteria ◽  
Antibiotic Resistant ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Extended Spectrum

As the global urban populations increase with rapid migration from rural areas, ready-to-eat (RTE) street foods are posing food safety challenges where street foods are prepared with less structured food safety guidelines in small and roadside outlets. The increased presence of extended-spectrum-β-lactamase (ESBL) producing bacteria in street foods is a significant risk for human health because of its epidemiological significance. Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae have become important and dangerous foodborne pathogens globally for their relevance to antibiotic resistance. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the potential burden of antibiotic-resistant E. coli and K. pneumoniae contaminating RTE street foods and to assess the microbiological quality of foods in a typical emerging and growing urban suburb of India where RTE street foods are rapidly establishing with public health implications. A total of 100 RTE food samples were collected of which, 22.88% were E. coli and 27.12% K. pneumoniae. The prevalence of ESBL-producing E. coli and K. pneumoniae was 25.42%, isolated mostly from chutneys, salads, paani puri, and chicken. Antimicrobial resistance was observed towards cefepime (72.9%), imipenem (55.9%), cefotaxime (52.5%), and meropenem (16.9%) with 86.44% of the isolates with MAR index above 0.22. Among β-lactamase encoding genes, blaTEM (40.68%) was the most prevalent followed by blaCTX (32.20%) and blaSHV (10.17%). blaNDM gene was detected in 20.34% of the isolates. This study indicated that contaminated RTE street foods present health risks to consumers and there is a high potential of transferring multi-drug-resistant bacteria from foods to humans and from person to person as pathogens or as commensal residents of the human gut leading to challenges for subsequent therapeutic treatments.

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