Survival and Growth of VTEC in the Environment

McDowell, Dawn; Sheridan, J.J.

doi:10.1002/9780470385098.ch15

Cited by 13 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 147 publications

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“…An increasing spectrum of fruits and vegetables fertilised with ruminant manure or contaminated during harvesting or processing has been involved in outbreaks [107,166]. Contaminated sprouts have caused episodes of salmonellosis and represent an emerging source of EHEC O157 [112].…”

Section: Fruit and Vegetablesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This has highlighted the tolerance of E. coli O157 to acidic pH and its ability to survive the processes of fermentation and drying. In addition, waterborne outbreaks and outbreaks associated with other types of environmentrelated exposures have been increasingly reported [107,166]. The dispersion of untreated manure in the environment can cause the contamination of different items, which can then act as secondary vehicles of human infections [29,107].…”

Section: Emerging Modes Of Transmissionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…EHEC O157 has been isolated from surface waters [96,108], and an increased risk of waterborne infections was recorded immediately after cattle manure spreading [124]. Waterborne episodes of STEC infection have been increasingly reported [39,107,128,166] but the causative agent has rarely been isolated from the related water samples [1,23].…”

Section: Persistence In Faeces and Manurementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Viable organisms have been observed in the inner tissues of sprouts grown from experimentally contaminated seeds [78] and this is a matter of particular concern, since disinfection of the sprout surface could not insure the safety of this ready-to-eat food. Other fresh produce like lettuce, tomatoes, coleslaw, and others [107,166] are established or potential vehicles of STEC infection. Unpasteurised fruit juices, increasingly popular among consumers, represent another safety concern, if the acidic tolerance and the low infectious dose of EHEC O157 are considered.…”

Section: Fruit and Vegetablesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…STEC appear to be well adapted to survive in animal faeces, where they can remain viable for periods ranging from several weeks to many months [107]. Experimental contamination of cattle faeces showed a good survival capacity when faeces were maintained between 15 °C and 18 °C [54,105].…”

Section: Persistence In Faeces and Manurementioning

confidence: 99%

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Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli: emerging issues on virulence and modes of transmission

et al. 2005

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-Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) constitute a subset of serotypes (E. coli O157 and some other serogroups) of Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing E. coli (STEC) firmly associated with severe human illnesses like bloody diarrhoea and haemolytic uraemic syndrome. Stx production is essential but not sufficient for EHEC virulence. Most strains are capable of colonising the intestinal mucosa of the host with the "attaching and effacing" mechanism, genetically governed by a large pathogenicity island (PAI) defined as the Locus of Enterocyte Effacement. Other virulence factors carried by mobile genetic elements like PAI and plasmids have been recently described, and their role in the pathogenic process has not been fully elucidated. EHEC are zoonotic pathogens. They rarely cause disease in animals, and ruminants are recognised as their main natural reservoir. Cattle are considered to be the most important source of human infections with EHEC O157, and the ecology of the organism in cattle farming has been extensively studied. The organism has also been reported in sheep, goats, water buffalos, and deer. Pigs and poultry are not considered to be a source of EHEC and the sporadic reports may derive from accidental exposure to ruminant dejections. The epidemiology of EHEC infections has remarkably changed during the past ten years and an increasing number of unusual food vehicles have been associated with human infections. New routes of transmission have emerged, like contact with animals during farm visits and a wide variety of environment-related exposures. As for other zoonotic agents, having animals and raw products that are free from EHEC is not possible in practice. However, their occurrence can be minimised by applying high standards of hygiene in all the steps of the food production chain.

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Section: Fruit and Vegetablesmentioning

confidence: 99%