Prevalence of Shiga toxin-, intimin- and haemolysin genes in Escherichia coli isolates from drinking water supplies in a rural area of Austria.
Literature harbours several reports of potable water-associated outbreaks. We studied the prevalence of Shiga toxin- (stx1/2), intimin- (eae) and haemolysin (hlyA) genes in Escherichia coli isolates from drinking water of private and public water supplies in a rural area of Upper Austria; 2633 water samples were gained between November 2000 and December 2003. Two hundred and eighty of these water samples were positive for E. coli (10.6%). Of these, 101 samples were drawn from drilled wells (36%), 96 from dug wells (34%), 61 from springs (22%) and 22 from water supplies without available information on technical details (8%); 141 of the samples were from public water supplies, 139 from private water supplies. Eleven of the E. coli isolates were found to be positive for one of the investigated virulence genes (3.9%): one isolate yielded stx2, seven eae, and three isolates had hlyA. The presence of these genes underlines the importance of control of water quality in public and also private water supplies.
Halabi
Milad
M
Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Krankenhaus der Barmherzigen Schwestern, Schlossberg 1, 4910 Ried im Innkreis, Austria. milo.halabi@bhs.at
Orth
Dorothea
D
Grif
Katharina
K
Wiesholzer-Pittl
Margit
M
Kainz
Martina
M
Schöberl
Johann
J
Dierich
Manfred P
MP
Allerberger
Franz
F
Würzner
Reinhard
R
D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001317:Austria; D004326:Drinking; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D054308:Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019453:Escherichia coli O157 / Q000235:genetics; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012424:Rural Population; D022622:Shiga Toxin 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D022641:Shiga Toxin 2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D054323:Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014881:Water Supply / Q000032:analysis*
D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins; D022622:Shiga Toxin 1; D022641:Shiga Toxin 2; C073819:eaeA protein, E coli