Prevalence of verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC) and E. coli O157:H7 in French pork.
OBJECTIVE
To determination the prevalence of VTEC in pork products and the surrounding environment of the pork plant (slaughterhouse and cutting plant), and characterization of the VTEC strains isolated (virulence genes and serotype).


RESULTS
Among the 2146 carcass and pork samples and 876 environmental samples (swabs of surfaces or materials), 328 (15%) and 170 (19%) were PCR-positive for stx genes respectively. VTEC strains were recovered from positive samples by colony hybridization or immunoconcentration, serotyped and genetically characterized. Strains of E. coli O157:H7 were not isolated from 3 uidA-positive samples detected by PCR. The VTEC isolates did not harbour eae, ehx and uidA genes.


CONCLUSIONS
Pigs and pork meat may contain VTEC strains but characterization of the strains based on virulence factors showed that the potential danger of pork meat appears to be low since although all strains harboured a stx gene, they did not have other virulence genes.


CONCLUSIONS
General hygiene measures appear to be sufficient and specific hygiene measures for VTEC are not necessary at this time. The porcine VTEC strains isolated in our study probably do not present a hazard.
Bouvet
J
J
Unité de Microbiologie Alimentaire et Prévisionnelle, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire de Lyon, France. j.bouvet@vet-lyon.fr
Montet
M P
MP
Rossel
R
R
Le Roux
A
A
Bavai
C
C
Ray-Gueniot
S
S
Mazuy
C
C
Atrache
V
V
Vernozy-Rozand
C
C
D000003:Abattoirs / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000818:Animals; D019453:Escherichia coli O157 / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D005506:Food Contamination; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D008460:Meat / Q000382:microbiology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D015995:Prevalence; D022603:Shiga Toxins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013552:Swine
D022603:Shiga Toxins