a b s t r a c t
Meat and meat products have been implicated in outbreaks of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in most parts of
the world. In the Amathole District Municipality of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, a large
number of households consume meat and meat products daily, although the microbiological quality of
these types of food is questionable. The present study investigated the prevalence of E. coli O157:H7
isolated from selected meat and meat products (45 samples each of biltong, cold meat, mincemeat, and
polony) sold in this area. Strains of E. coli O157:H7 were isolated by enrichment culture and confirmed by
polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Also investigated were the antibiogram profiles of the E. coli O157:H7
isolates. Five (2.8%) out of 180 meat and meat products examined were positive for E. coli O157:H7 that
carried the fliCH7, rfbEO157, and eaeA genes. Two of the E. coli O157:H7 isolates were resistant against all
the eight antibiotics tested. To prevent E. coli O157:H7 infections, meat and meat products such as
biltong, cold meat, mincemeat and polony should be properly handled, and packed in sterile polyvinyl
wrappers.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:tut/oai:encore.tut.ac.za:d1001755 |
| Date | 01 October 2008 |
| Creators | Abongo, BO, Momba, MNB |
| Publisher | Elsevier |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | |
| Rights | c 2008 Elsevier Ltd |
| Relation | Food Microbiology |
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