Efectos del medio de cultivo y de la metodología aplicada sobre la formación de biopelículas de 2 cepas de Escherichia coli diarreagénicas / Effects of the culture medium and the methodology applied on the biofilm formation of 2 diarrheagenic Escherichia coli strains

La capacidad de formar biopelículas de los microorganismos patógenos en gran variedad de ambientes, superficies y condiciones trae consigo un importante riesgo, tanto para la industria alimentaria como para la salud pública. Este trabajo tuvo como objetivo evaluar y comparar los efectos de la metodología empleada y de los medios de cultivo utilizados, sobre la capacidad de una cepa de Escherichia coli verotoxigénica no O157 y una enteropatogénica de formar biopelículas sobre una superficie de poliestireno. Se ensayaron 2 variantes metodológicas en cultivo estático y se utilizaron medios de cultivo con diferente composición. Los resultados mostraron que ambas cepas formaron una mayor cantidad de biopelícula en cultivo en LB suplementado con glucosa, con recambio del medio a las 24 h y la cuantificación de la biopelícula realizada a las 48 h de incubación. Dichas condiciones podrían ser utilizadas en futuros estudios sobre formación de biopelícula.

The ability to form biofilms of pathogenic microorganisms in a wide variety of environments, surfaces and conditions constitute an important risk, both for the food industry and for public health. The aim of this work was to evaluate and to compare the effects of the methodology applied and the culture medium used on the ability of a non-O157 verotoxigenic Escherichia coli strain and an enteropathogenic strain to form biofilm on polystyrene surface. Two methodological variants were tested in static culture and culture mediums with different composition were used. The results showed that both strains were able to form a greater biofilm under culture in LB supplemented with glucose, with medium replacement at 24 h and the quantification of the biofilm carried out at 48 h of incubation. These conditions could be used in future studies on biofilm formation.

Resistência antimicrobiana e caracterização molecular do grupo filogenético de STEC e EPEC típicas e atípicas isoladas de queijos Minas Frescal clandestinos / Antimicrobial resistance and molecular characterization of the phylogenetic group of STEC and EPEC typical and atypical isolated from clandestines Minas Frescal cheeses

Esse estudo avaliou a resistência antimicrobiana e o grupo filogenético de Escherichia coli enteropatogênicas (EPEC) e produtoras de toxina shiga-like (STEC) em 10 amostras de queijos Minas Frescal clandestinos. A média da contagem de E. coli foi de 1,1 x 105 UFC/g. Duas (1,8%) das 111 cepas foram identificadas como EPEC (gene eaeA) sendo uma EPEC típica (gene bfpA) e outra atípica. Outras três (2,7%) foram identificadas como STEC (gene stx2). A t-EPEC foi resistente à estreptomicina e a a-EPEC à cefoxitina e ampicilina. Uma STEC foi considerada multirresistente (ampicilina, estreptomicina e tetraciclina), outra resistente à tetraciclina e outra sensível. A presença de t-EPEC, juntamente com o predomínio de cepas do grupo filogenético A (60%), confirmam a possível origem fecal humana dos isolados de E. coli nos queijos clandestinos.

Antibiotic resistance and integrons in Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC)

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) cause hemorrhagic colitis (HC) and hemolytic-uremic syndrome in humans (HUS). Cattle are the main reservoir of STEC and transmission to humans occurs through contaminated food and water. Antibiotics are used in pig production systems to combat disease and improve productivity and play a key role in the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes to the bacteria. Integrons have been identified in resistant bacteria allowing for the acquisition and dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes. STEC strains isolated from humans and animals have developed antibiotic resistance. In our laboratory, 21 non-157 STEC strains isolated from pigs were analyzed to detect class 1 and 2 integrons by PCR. Eight carried integrons, 7 of them harbored intl2. In another study 545 STEC strains were also analyzed for the presence of intl1 and intl2. Strains carrying intl1 belonged to isolates from environment (n = 1), chicken hamburger (n = 2), dairy calves (n = 4) and pigs (n = 8). Two strains isolated from pigs harbored intl2 and only one intl1/intl2, highlighting the presence of intl2 in pigs. The selection for multiresistant strains may contribute to the emergence of antibiotic resistant pathogens and facilitate the spreading of the mobile resistance elements to other bacteria.

Prevalence and characteristics of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) from cattle in Korea between 2010 and 2011

A total of 156 Shiga-like toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) were isolated from fecal samples of Korean native (100/568, 18%) and Holstein dairy cattle (56/524, 11%) in Korea between September 2010 and July 2011. Fifty-two STEC isolates (33%) harbored both of shiga toxin1 (stx1) and shiga toxin2 (stx2) genes encoding enterohemolysin (EhxA) and autoagglutinating adhesion (Saa) were detected by PCR in 83 (53%) and 65 (42%) isolates, respectively. By serotyping, six STEC from native cattle and four STEC from dairy cattle were identified as O-serotypes (O26, O111, O104, and O157) that can cause human disease. Multilocus sequence typing and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns highlighted the genetic diversity of the STEC strains and difference between strains collected during different years. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests showed that the multidrug resistance rate increased from 12% in 2010 to 42% in 2011. Differences between isolates collected in 2010 and 2011 may have resulted from seasonal variations or large-scale slaughtering in Korea performed to control a foot and mouth disease outbreak that occurred in early 2011. However, continuous epidemiologic studies will be needed to understand mechanisms. More public health efforts are required to minimize STEC infection transmitted via dairy products and the prevalence of these bacteria in dairy cattle.

Detection of shiga-toxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC) in diarrhoeagenic stool & meat samples in Mangalore, India.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Shiga-toxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC) are causative agents of bloody diarrhoea, haemorrhagic colitis (HC) and haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS). Humans acquire infections primarily through contaminated beef. In India, STEC has not been implicated as a major cause of diarrhoea. Hence, isolation of STEC from diarrhoeagenic stool samples of patients and beef samples marketed through retail outlets was attempted in Mangalore, India. METHODS: Diarrhoeagenic stool samples (n = 192) and meat samples (n = 103) were screened for STEC, using conventional culture methods and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from December 2003 to 2006 in the department of Microbiology, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore. All the E. coli isolates were subjected to antibiotic susceptibility testing and serotyping. RESULTS: Of the 40 eae positive E. coli isolates from meat sample, one was positive for all the STEC genes, namely stx1, stx2, rfb O157 and EHEC hlyA. This isolate belonged to O157 serogroup. Of the 110 eae positive E. coli isolated from stool samples, two were positive for EHEC hlyA and belonged to serogroup O8 and one was positive for bfp gene and found to be of O6 serogroup. Among the 192 stool enrichment broths tested, 160 were positive for eae gene, of which two were EHEC hlyA positive and one was bfp gene positive. Among the 103 meat enrichment cultures, 90 were positive for eae gene and one among them was positive for all the STEC genes. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION: Our results showed a low incidence of STEC and high prevalence of eae positive E. coli other than STEC in stool and meat samples. A low positivity was observed for PCR performed directly on stool and meat samples. However, PCR on enrichment cultures gave better results. Since E. coli O157 was isolated and detected by PCR in one of the meat samples, this organism may be of public health significance. A study on a large sample may provide some answer.