Abstract

REYES-RODRIGUEZ, Nydia Edith et al. Prevalence and antibiotic resistance of Escherichia coli O157: H7 isolated from bovine carcasses at slaughterhouses of the Central Mexican Plateau. Rev. mex. de cienc. pecuarias [online]. 2013, vol.4, n.2, pp.235-242. ISSN 2448-6698.

Meat is the main vehicle for food poisoning as a result of poor hygiene in the slaughtering of animals or during the handling of carcasses. This study analyzes three municipal slaughterhouses of the Central Mexican Plateau. Two hundred and twenty eight paired samples were obtained from carcasses (n= 114) and colon content (n= 114) of cattle slaughtered at these abattoirs. Two (0.8 %) E. coli O157: NM strains from colon content and 6 (2.6 %) E. coli O157: H7 strains (5 carcasses and 1 colon content) were found. The percentage of isolation from each slaughterhouse was variable, finding significant differences (P<0.05). In E. coli O157: NM and O157: H7 strains, it was observed that the highest resistance to cephalothin was 75 %, 62.5 % carbenicillin, 50 % amikacin and 50 % gentamicin. E. coli O157: H7 strains presented 16.7 % of the eae gene, 16.7 % eae, stx1 and stx2 genes and 66.7 % eae and stx2 genes. In conclusion the results obtained show the presence of E. coli O157: H7 virulence factors and antibiotic resistance in cattle carcasses of the Central Mexican Plateau, which is considered a major source of contamination and a public health risk.

Keywords : Escherichia coli O157:H7; Shiga toxins; Multiresistance.