Preliminary studies on the isolation of Escherichia coli O157 : H7 from abattoir samples in Turkey

In this study, a private abattoir was visited 7 times between January 2000 and August 2000. During visits, a random sampling method was used and one o f two (1/2) cattle was sampled. First of all, selected cattle were examined clinically and sex, ages and breed were recorded. 22 female and 53 male ca ttle were sampled. These were between 1-5 years old and 68 of them were Hol stein breed. The samples taken for bacteriological culturing were divided into 4 groups consisting of fecal swabs, carcasses, water and environmental (knifes, saws , hooks, hands, clothes, benches, surfaces) samples. The samples were taken using the sterile cotton swabs (surface swabbing). The fecal and carcass s wabs were immediately placed into 10 ml modified Escherichia coli broths (m EC broth). The environmental swabs were placed into 10 mi GN Broth. For wat er, 2 liter of water was taken into a sterile bottle and mTSB was used for isolation. The immunomagnetic separation was used for the isolation of E. c oli from the enrichment broth. The isolates were then checked for MUG, indo l, rhamnose, urease activity and motility. The slide agglutination test was used for serogrouping by using specific rabbit anti-E. coli O157:H7 (NCTC- 12900). In total, 3 isolates, one from feces, one from knife and one from clothes o f a butcher were identified as E. coli O157:H7. No E. coli O157:H7 was isol ated from water, carcasses and other samples.