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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, May 2006, p. 3245-3251, Vol. 72, No. 5
0099-2240/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.72.5.3245-3251.2006
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Characterization of Shiga Toxin Gene (stx)-Positive and Intimin Gene (eae)-Positive Escherichia coli Isolates from Wastewater of Slaughterhouses in France

Estelle Loukiadis,1 Monique Kérourédan,1 Lothar Beutin,2 Eric Oswald,1 and Hubert Brugère1*

UMR 1225 INRA-ENVT Interactions Hôtes-Agents Pathogènes, Equipe Pathogénie moléculaire et cellulaire des Escherichia coli, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse, 31076 Toulouse Cedex 3, France,1 National Reference Laboratory for Escherichia coli, Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, 12277 Berlin, Germany2

Received 22 November 2005/ Accepted 21 February 2006

Wastewater samples from 12 slaughterhouses located in different regions in France were tested for the presence of stx-positive and eae-positive Escherichia coli isolates, and characteristics of the isolates obtained were determined. A total of 224 wastewater samples were collected in wastewater treatment plants at different stages of wastewater processing. Altogether, 5,001 E. coli isolates were obtained by colony counting and screened for the presence of stx and eae genes by multiplex PCR. stx-positive and eae-positive E. coli isolates were detected in 25% of the samples collected; they were found in 13% and 3% of the samples obtained from treated effluent and sludge, respectively, suggesting that they could be spread into the environment. Screening of the samples collected by immunomagnetic separation allowed us to isolate 31 additional E. coli serogroup O157 isolates. Four of these isolates harbored stx and eae genes. All stx-positive and eae-positive E. coli isolates were analyzed for eae and stx genetic variants, as well as for additional virulence factors and serotypes. Our results suggest that the majority of the stx- and eae-positive E. coli isolates from wastewater have low virulence for humans. However, the diversity of the enterohemorrhagic E. coli-associated virulence factors in the strains indicates that the environment may play an important role in the emergence of new pathogenic enterohemorrhagic E. coli strains.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: UMR 1225 INRA-ENVT Interactions Hôtes-Agents Pathogènes, Equipe Pathogénie moléculaire et cellulaire des Escherichia coli, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse, BP 87 614, 31076 Toulouse Cedex 3, France. Phone: 33 (0)5 61 19 39 05. Fax: 33 (0)5 61 49 12 63. E-mail: h.brugere{at}envt.fr.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, May 2006, p. 3245-3251, Vol. 72, No. 5
0099-2240/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.72.5.3245-3251.2006
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

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