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Prevalence and potential link between E . coli O157:H7 isolated from drinking water, meat and vegetables and stools of diarrhoeic confirmed and non‐confirmed HIV/AIDS patients in the Amathole District – South Africa
Author(s) -
Abong’o B.O.,
Momba M.N.B.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of applied microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.889
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1365-2672
pISSN - 1364-5072
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2672.2008.03756.x
Subject(s) - escherichia coli , polymerase chain reaction , biology , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , diarrhea , bacteria , food science , microbiology and biotechnology , medicine , virology , gene , biochemistry , genetics
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 fliC H7 , rfbE O157 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.