RESUMO
Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) of the O157:H7 serotype is a worldwide zoonotic pathogen responsible for the majority of severe cases of human EHEC disease. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of E. coli O157: H7/NM in raw meat samples from two provinces of Iran. During a period from March 2010 to March 2011. Two hundred and ninety five raw meat samples were collected from beef (n= 85), camel, (n= 50), sheep (n= 62), goat (n= 60), and water buffalo (n=38). Fourteen (4.7%) of the 295 samples were positive for E. coli O157. The highest prevalence of E. coli O157 was found in beef samples (8.2%), followed by water buffalo (5.3%), sheep (4.8%), camel (2.0%), and goat (1.7%). Of fourteen E. coli O157 isolates, only one was determined to be serotype O157: H7 while 13 were determined as serotype O157: NM. Of the 14 E. coli O157:H7/NM isolates, one, four, two, and one strains were positive for stx1, stx2, eaeA and ehlyA genes, respectively. The prevalence of this organism varied between seasons with the highest prevalence of E. coli O157 occurring in summer (9.3%). The results of this study showed that beef and water buffalo meat are a significant source for human EHEC E. coli O157:H7/NM infection in Iran. The data reported in this study provides some useful baseline in formation for future research such as molecular or epidemiologic works.
RESUMO
Campylobacter spp. are one of the most common causes of acute bacterial gastroenteritis in human beings which are transmitted mostly via food originating from animals. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of Campylobacter spp. isolated from retail raw meats in Iran. From June 2008 to June 2009, a total of 722 raw meat samples from camel (n = 107), beef (n = 190), lamb (n = 225), and goat (n = 180) were purchased from randomly selected retail outlets in Isfahan and Yazd, Iran, and were evaluated for the presence of Campylobacter spp. In this study, 50 of the 722 meat samples (6.9%) were contaminated with Campylobacter spp. The highest prevalence of Campylobacter spp. was found in lamb meat (12.0%), followed by goat meat (9.4%), beef meat (2.4%), and camel meat (0.9%). The most prevalent Campylobacter spp. isolated from the meat samples was Campylobacter jejuni (84.0%); the remaining isolates were Campylobacter coli (16.0%). Susceptibilities of 50 Campylobacter isolates were determined for 10 antimicrobial drugs using the disk-diffusion assay. Resistance to tetracycline was the most common finding (68.0%), followed by resistance to ciprofloxacin (46.0%) and nalidixic acid (40.0%). All of the isolates were susceptible to erythromycin, gentamicin, and chloramphenicol. Significantly higher prevalence rates of Campylobacter spp. (p < 0.05) were found in the lamb meat samples taken in spring (20.0%) and summer (18.9%). To our knowledge, this study is the first report of the isolation of Campylobacter spp. from raw camel, lamb, and goat meat in Iran.
