Escherichia coli serotype O157:H7: novel vehicles of infection and emergence of phenotypic variants.
Escherichia coli serotype O157:H7 was only recognized as a human pathogen a little more than a decade ago, yet it has become a major foodborne pathogen. In the United States, the severity of serotype O157:H7 infections in the young and the elderly has had a tremendous impact on human health, the food industry, and federal regulations regarding food safety. The implication of acidic foods as vehicles of infection has dispelled the concept that low-pH foods are safe. Further, the association of nonbovine products with outbreaks suggests that other vehicles of transmission may exist for this pathogen. In laboratory diagnosis, most microbiologic assays rely on a single phenotype to selectively isolate this pathogen. However, the increasing evidence that phenotypic variations exist among isolates in this serogroup may eventually necessitate modifications in assay procedures to detect them.
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U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Washington, D.C. 20204, USA. pxf@fdacf.ssw.dhhs.gov
D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000235:genetics* / Q000635:transmission*; D019453:Escherichia coli O157; D005511:Food Handling; D005516:Food Microbiology; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D008461:Meat Products / Q000382:microbiology; D014677:Pharmaceutical Vehicles; D014871:Water Microbiology
D014677:Pharmaceutical Vehicles