title: Acid tolerance of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli.
abstract: Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) strains were tested for their ability to survive in acid pH at 37 degrees C. No loss of viability was observed in an O157:H7 EHEC strain (ATCC 43895) at pH levels of 3.0 and 2.5 for at least 5 h. The level of acid tolerance of most EHEC isolates was very high, similar to that of Shigella flexneri strains. The acid tolerance was dependent on the growth phase and pH of the growth medium.
authors.affiliation: Division of Molecular Biological Research and Evaluation, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Washington, D.C. 20204, USA.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Benjamin
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Datta
mesh_terms: D000143:Acids; D003092:Colitis / Q000209:etiology; D003470:Culture Media / Q000737:chemistry; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000209:etiology; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005517:Foodborne Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology; D006463:Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D012703:Serotyping; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D000143:Acids; D003470:Culture Media