title: Isolation of verotoxigenic Escherichia coli from the Tasmanian environment.
abstract: Growing concerns on the emergence of verotoxin producing Escherichia coli (VTEC) in Australia have focused our attention on the possible sources of VTEC within the island state of Tasmania. An analysis of 156 food samples and 194 water samples obtained from various areas revealed evidence of eight possible sources. Six strains, with serotypes Ont:Hnt, O86:H-, O88:H-, O126:H21 and O134:H-, were isolated from water samples. Two VTEC of serotypes Ont:H8, 081:H- were isolated from raw meat samples. The waterborne isolates produced verocytotoxin. VT1, while both foodborne isolates were strong producers of VT2. Three VTEC isolates produced haemolysins, only one produced enterohaemolysin (EntHly) and the remaining were reported with alpha-haemolysin (alpha-Hly) activity. An important feature in the majority of isolates from water was their lack of ability to ferment lactose these isolates are routinely overlooked in public health laboratories.
authors.affiliation: University of Tasmania, Department of Pathology, Hobart, Australia.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Manandhar
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Bettiol
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Bettelheim
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Goldsmid
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000209:etiology; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000209:etiology; D005516:Food Microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008460:Meat / Q000382:microbiology; D012703:Serotyping; D022622:Shiga Toxin 1; D013648:Tasmania; D014871:Water Microbiology
chemical_list: D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D022622:Shiga Toxin 1