title: Phenogenotypic Characterization of Escherichia coli O157:H7 Strains Isolated from Cattle at Slaughter.
abstract: Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7 was isolated from 30 (4%) of 744 cattle hide swab samples collected at Estonian slaughterhouses within a 3-year monitoring program of zoonotic pathogens. The isolates were characterized by determining the presence of STEC main virulence factors, the antimicrobial resistance profiles, and the genetic relatedness by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Thirteen strains carried the stx2 gene alone and 17 both the stx1 and stx2 genes. The most frequently detected stx subtype was stx2c, occurring alone (n = 12) or in combination with subtype stx1a (n = 13). All isolates harbored the intimin-coding eae gene and produced enterohemolysin. Twelve isolates (40%) showed resistance to at least one of the 14 antimicrobials and the isolates were predominantly resistant to streptomycin, sulfamethoxazole, and ampicillin. No extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing isolates were detected. PFGE characterization of the isolates showed an overall similarity higher than 75%, and four clusters based on 100% similarity were revealed.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Food Hygiene, Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences , Tartu, Estonia .|2 Veterinary and Food Laboratory , Tartu, Estonia .
authors.forename: Toomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kramarenko
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Food Hygiene, Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences , Tartu, Estonia .
authors.forename: Mati
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roasto
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Food Hygiene, Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences , Tartu, Estonia .|2 Veterinary and Food Laboratory , Tartu, Estonia .
authors.forename: Mihkel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mäesaar
authors.affiliation: 3 European Union Reference Laboratory for E. coli, Istitituto Superiore di Sanita , Rome, Italy .
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maugliani
authors.affiliation: 3 European Union Reference Laboratory for E. coli, Istitituto Superiore di Sanita , Rome, Italy .
authors.forename: Rosangela
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tozzoli
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Food Hygiene, Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences , Tartu, Estonia .
authors.forename: Kadrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Meremäe
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Food Hygiene, Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences , Tartu, Estonia .
authors.forename: Terje
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Elias
authors.affiliation: 2 Veterinary and Food Laboratory , Tartu, Estonia .
authors.forename: Maiu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kuningas
mesh_terms: D000003:Abattoirs; D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D019453:Escherichia coli O157 / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015964:Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; D012307:Risk Factors; D022603:Shiga Toxins / Q000378:metabolism; D012867:Skin / Q000382:microbiology; D015047:Zoonoses
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D022603:Shiga Toxins
keywords: Escherichia coli O157:H7; cattle; slaughterhouse; zoonotic agents