title: Isolation of Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli from lettuce samples in Tehran.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to find the isolation rate of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) from lettuce samples collected in Tehran.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  During the last decade, the prevalence of infectious diarrheal diseases due to consumption of contaminated food especially raw vegetable has been increasingly reported. Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli strains are an important group of diarrheagenic E. coli that can cause infant diarrhea especially in the developing world.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred lettuce samples collected in Tehran were transported to the laboratory, homogenized by a stomacher in EC broth containing cefixime, and cultured on MacConkey agar plates. Bacterial DNA was extracted by boiling method and PCR was performed using three pairs of primers targeting stx 1, stx 2 and eaeA genes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Screening of 100 lettuce samples by PCR showed four samples were positive for the presence of EPEC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests contamination of the lettuce by the EPEC and its possible role as the source of infection in this region.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Somayeh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mazaheri
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Siavosh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Salmanzadeh-Ahrabi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Tahereh
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Falsafi
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad-Mehdi
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Aslani
keywords: Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli; Lettuce; PCR; Tehran