Outbreak data have been used to estimate the proportion of illnesses attributable to different foods. Applying outbreak-based attribution estimates to nonoutbreak foodborne illnesses requires an assumption of similar exposure pathways for outbreak and sporadic illnesses. This assumption cannot be tested, but other comparisons can assess its veracity. Our study compares demographic, clinical, te...

Potassium tellurite was assessed for the selection of verocytotoxigenic (VT+) Escherichia coli O157. MICs were higher for VT+ E. coli O157 than for other strains of E. coli and for Aeromonas spp. MacConkey medium containing sorbitol, tellurite and cefixime (TC-SMAC) permitted the growth of VT+ E. coli O157 and Shigella sonnei but partially or completely inhibited the growth of 67% of other stra...

In May 2016, an outbreak of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157 infections occurred among children who had played in a stream flowing through a park. Analysis of E. coli isolates from the patients, stream water, and deer and coyote scat showed that feces from deer were the most likely source of contamination.

We evaluated clinical Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157 infections in England and Wales during 1983-2012 to describe changes in microbiological and surveillance methods. A strain replacement event was captured; phage type (PT) 2 decreased to account for just 3% of cases by 2012, whereas PT8 and PT21/28 strains concurrently emerged, constituting almost two thirds of cases by 2012. Desp...

INTRODUCTION E. coli O157:H7 has three sodC genes encoding for Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase. We evaluated the expression of chromosomal sodC in distinct phases of growth in different strains, and we examined the mutual capability of chromosomal and prophagic genes to influence their expression. METHODS We used One Step real-time RT-PCR technology to study the expression of sodC genes in several...

The effects of chlorine and pH on the bactericidal activity of electrolyzed (EO) water were examined against Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes. The residual chlorine concentration of EO water ranged from 0.1 to 5.0 mg/l, and the pH effect was examined at pH 3.0, 5.0, and 7.0. The bactericidal activity of EO water increased with residual chlorine concentration for both pathogen...

First identified in 1982, Escherichia coli O157:H7 is the dominant enterohemorrhagic serotype underlying food-borne human infections in North America. Here, we report the genomes of twenty-six strains derived from patients and the bovine reservoir. These resources enable detailed whole-genome comparisons and permit investigations of genotypic and phenotypic plasticity.

This study has evaluated the use of a commercially available Rainbow agar O157 and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays for the detection of Shiga-like toxin producing Escherichia coli and to serotype E. coli O157:H7 from raw meat. The Rainbow agar O157 was found to be selective and sensitive for the screening of the E. coli O157 from artificially and naturally contaminated meat samples. Shig...

We report the draft genome sequences of three enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) isolates that display the O157 serogroup but do not have the Shiga toxin genes (stx), which are characteristic of O157 enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC). E. coli strain RN587/1 has the O157:H8 serotype and possesses the EAF plasmid characteristic of typical EPEC (J. B. Kaper, J. P. Nataro, and H. L. Mobley, Na...

Vanillin, a plant-derived antimicrobial volatile substance, has potential microbial control applications in the food industry. However, effect of vanillin on food-borne pathogen Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 not been well studied. This study aims to explore antibacterial mechanism against E. O157:H7. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and were determined by microdilution. Scanning ...