Prevalence and potential link betweenE.coliO157:H7 isolated from drinking water, meat and vegetables and stools of diarrhoeic confirmed and non-confirmed HIVAIDS patients in the Amathole District South Africa

Abstract

Aim: The current study investigated the prevalence and molecular relatedness between Escherichia coli O157:H7 isolated from water, meat and meat products and vegetables and from stools of confirmed and non‐confirmed Human Immune Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) patients with diarrhoea. Methods and Results: Culture‐based and polymerase chain reaction techniques were used to identify E. coli O157:H7. Thirty‐five per cent of meat products, 25·5% of water, 21·7% of vegetables as well as 56·5% and 43·5% of stools of confirmed and non‐confirmed HIV/AIDS patients, respectively, were presumptively positive with E. coli O157. Molecular results indicated that 10·3%, 8·6% and 7·8% of the vegetables, water and meat products examined carried E. coli O157:H7, which had homologous fliCH7, rfbEO157 and eaeA genetic loci to the genes of some E. coli O157:H7 isolated from 12·2% and 8·8% of the stools of confirmed and non‐confirmed HIV/AIDS patients, respectively. Conclusions: Water, meat and meat products and vegetables are potential sources of E. coli O157:H7 that are potentially capable of causing diarrhoea in humans especially HIV/AIDS patients. Significance and Impact of the Study: Great care should be exercised to ensure that water and foods consumed by HIV/AIDS patients are safe, as contaminated water and foods can cause secondary infections in these patients.

Abundance of Pathogenic Escherichia coli Virulence-Associated Genes in Well and Borehole Water Used for Domestic Purposes in a Peri-Urban Community of South Africa

“…Virulence in these strains is characterised by the presence of the shiga toxin producing genes ( stx1 and stx2 ), the intimin ( eaeA ) gene and other factors such as the flicH7 gene which codes for the structural flagella antigen in EHEC O157:H7 [44,45]. Strain O157:H7 has been reported to be the most common member of the EHEC group and has been involved in several diarrhoeal disease outbreaks in many developed countries such as the UK, USA, Ireland and Canada [46] as well as many developing countries, including South Africa [47]. In the United States for example, the organism causes an estimated 73,000 cases of illnesses resulting in about 60 deaths every year [48].…”

Incidence and antimicrobial susceptibility of Escherichia coli O157:H7 isolates recovered from dairy farms in Amathole District Municipality, Eastern Cape, South Africa

“…The above-mentioned studies and the current investigation highlight the need for proper handling of drinking water for livestock and other water systems including good animal waste management to avert the widespread of E. coli O157:H7 to the environment, food products, vegetables, crops and back to animals. According to a study conducted by Abong'o and Momba [24] vegetables, meat, meat products and water serve as possible transmission routes of E. coli O157:H7. Several other studies including Igbinosa and Okoh [25] as well as Osode and Okoh [26] reported that wastewater treatment plants within the Eastern Cape region are ineffective in reducing enteric microorganisms.…”

Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli in sub-Saharan Africa: Status, Uncertainties and Necessities

“…However, these media do not produce characteristic patterns with all O157 strains and fail to identify non-O157 EHEC [180,181]. Unfortunately, many recent studies have focused solely on EHEC belonging to this serotype [182,183]. A small study comparing diarrheagenic isolates from Kenya with strains from Japan observed a much broader variety of serotypes in the former [134].…”