Prevalence of verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC) in slurry, farmyard manure and sewage sludge in France.
OBJECTIVE
The aims of the present study were to determine VTEC prevalence in manure, slurry and sewage sludge in France and to characterize the VTEC strains isolated (virulence genes and serotype).


RESULTS
Seven hundred and fifty-two samples from 55 farmyard manures, 136 bovine and porcine faeces, 114 slurries, 10 composts, and 437 samples from outflows of sewage wastewater treatment plants were analysed. Twenty-four percent contained isolates which were PCR positive for stx gene. Twenty-one VTEC strains were recovered from positive samples by colony hybridization: 76% of them were positive for stx(2) gene, 33% for stx(1) gene,and 19% for eae gene. One strain belonged to serotype O157:H7 and two others to serogroups O26 and O55, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Some of the VTEC strains isolated from environments in France should be considered as potentially pathogenic for humans.


CONCLUSIONS
Appropriate handling or use of manure, slurry and sewage sludge is necessary so that contamination of the environment and food by VTEC can be prevented.
Vernozy-Rozand
C
C
Unité de Microbiologie Alimentaire et Prévisionnelle, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire de Lyon, France. c.vernozy@vet-lyon.fr
Montet
M P
MP
Lequerrec
F
F
Serillon
E
E
Tilly
B
B
Bavai
C
C
Ray-Gueniot
S
S
Bouvet
J
J
Mazuy-Cruchaudet
C
C
Richard
Y
Y
D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D002417:Cattle; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D019453:Escherichia coli O157 / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D005602:France; D008372:Manure / Q000382:microbiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D012722:Sewage / Q000382:microbiology*; D022622:Shiga Toxin 1 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D022641:Shiga Toxin 2 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D022603:Shiga Toxins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics
D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D008372:Manure; D012722:Sewage; D022622:Shiga Toxin 1; D022641:Shiga Toxin 2; D022603:Shiga Toxins; C073819:eaeA protein, E coli