Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and atypical enteropathogenic E. coli (aEPEC) in Swedish retail wheat flour.

ABSTRACT: Wheat flour has been identified as the source of multiple outbreaks of gastrointestinal disease caused by shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC). We have investigated the presence and genomic characteristics of STEC and related atypical enteropathogenic E. coli (aEPEC) in 200 bags of Swedish-produced retail wheat flour, representing 87 products and 25 brands. Samples were enriched in modified tryptone soya broth (mTSB) and screened with real-time PCR targeting stx₁, stx₂ and eae, and the serogroups O157, O121 and O26. Isolation was performed by immunomagnetic separation (IMS) for suspected STEC/aEPEC O157, O121 and O26, and by screening pools of colonies for other STEC. Real-time PCR after enrichment revealed 12 % of samples t

SUBMITTER: Soderlund R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10267659 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature