Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

PREVALENCE AND VIRULENCE FACTORS OF SHIGA TOXIN PRODUCING E. COLI ISOLATED FROM RAW MEAT: A REVIEW

Nawal Noureldim Abuelhassan, Sahilah Abdul Mutalib, Noura Karamalla M. Salih and Wan Mohtar Wan Yusoff

Abstract

Raw meat rich in protein, nitrogen compounds, high water activity and amino acids is a good medium for microbial growth. Microbiological safety of raw meat is of importance globally due to possibility of transmission of pathogens to both consumers and other food. Among the pathogens implicated in raw meat is Escherichia coli which normally live in the intestines of animals and humans. Although most E. coli are harmless but some E. coli are pathogenic which they can cause diarrhea. Transmission has been attributed to fecal-oral route, by consuming undercooked, contaminated ground beef, swimming in or drinking contaminated water, and eating contaminated vegetables. In both developing and developed countries, E. coli and shiga toxin producing E. coli infections are becoming very important food-borne disease due to various outbreaks of these pathogens. This current paper reviews occurrence, prevalence, epidemiology and virulence factors in E. coli and shiga toxin producing E. coli isolated from raw meat samples and recommendation for future research.