Prevalence of Escherichia coli in Milk and Some Dairy Products in Beni-Suef Governorate, Egypt

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Milk Hygiene Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Beni-Suef University, Egypt

2 Food Safety and Technology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Beni-Suef University, Egypt

3 Bacteriology Department, Animal Health Research Institute, Beni-Suef branch, Beni-Suef, Egypt

Abstract

The aim of the study was directed to investigate the prevalence of Escherichia coli in raw milk, cream, large and small scale yoghurt, Kareish cheese, and large and small scale ice cream by conventional bacteriological methods as well as detection of the wzy gene (O-antigen polymerase gene) using polymerase chain reaction for further identification of recovered isolates. A total of 200 random samples including 40 raw milk, 40 fresh cream, 20 of each large and small scale yoghurt, 40 Kareish cheese and 20 of each large and small scale ice cream were obtained from different localities in Beni-Suef governorate, Egypt. The present study could provide useful information for the prevalence of E. coli in the examined samples: 75%, 62.5%, 0%, 25%, 80%, 10% and 25% respectively. E. coli isolate were serologically identified as: O26, O111:H4, O121, O125:H21, O169, O126:H7 and O158 in raw milk, O6:H16, O55:H7, O119:H6, O125:H6 and O146:H21 in fresh cream, O55:H7, O125:H21 in small scale yoghurt and O18, O55:H7, O114:H21, O158, O125:H21and O153:H45 in Kareish cheese. Interestingly PCR successfully amplified the wzy gene (O-antigen polymerase gene) in all E. coli isolates which is associated with LPS biosynthesis and bacterial pathogenicity and increases the ability of E. coli to withstand the anti-bacterial defense mechanism. 

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