Escherichia coli O157:H7 is one of the major foodborne pathogens in the United States. We isolated a variant Shiga toxin-negative E. coli O157:H7 strain from feedlot cattle. We report here the draft genome sequence of this isolate, consisting of a chromosome of ~4.8 Mb and two plasmids of ~96 kb and ~14 kb.

GMAC, a modified version of Sorbitol MacConkey medium (SMAC), was produced with a reduced quantity of selective agents and incorporated gentiobiose. GMAC supported a higher recovery rate of heat- or acid-injured Escherichia coli O157:H7 cells than SMAC with cefixime and tellurite (CT-SMAC), while differentiating E. coli O157:H7 from sorbitol-nonfermenting Hafnia alvei.

The contribution of long polar fimbriae to intestinal colonization by Escherichia coli O157:H7 was evaluated in sheep, conventional pigs, and gnotobiotic piglets. E. coli O157:H7 strains with lpfA1 and lpfA2 mutated were recovered in significantly lower numbers and caused fewer attachment and effacement lesions than the parent strain.

Escherichia coli O157:H7 genotypes in the bovine reservoir may differ in virulence. The proportion of clinical genotypes among cattle isolates was weakly (P = 0.054) related to the international incidence of E. coli O157:H7-associated hemolytic-uremic syndrome, varied among clinical isolates internationally, and also differed along the putative cattle-hamburger-clinical case transmission chain.

Growth kinetics for Escherichia coli O157:H7 in perilla leaves were compared to those of pathogenic E. coli strains, including enteropathogenic (EPEC), enterotoxigenic (ETEC), enteroinvasive (EIEC) and other enterohemorrhagic (EHEC) at 13, 17, 24, 30 and 36 °C. Models for lag time (LT), specific growth rate (SGR) and maximum population density (MPD) as a function of temperature were developed. ...

Although Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 is a major cause of foodborne illness, other types of E. coli can also cause illness. E. coli that possess the eae gene for attachment and effacing have the potential to cause disease. Many real-time, molecular-based assays have been developed to detect Enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) including E. coli O157:H7. However, no assay currently exists to d...

Escherichia coli O157:H7, predominantly originated from beef, is a significant pathogen to the public health and thus, needs to be vigorously surveyed in meat samples. Three (6%) of 50 ground beef samples were found to be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7, but it was not detected any of 50 chicken drumsticks. This contamination rate of ground beef samples indicated that unhygienic practices pre...

Escherichia (E.) coli serotype O157:H7 is a globally distributed human enteropathogen and is comprised of microorganisms with closely related genotypes. The main reservoir for this group is bovine bowels, and infection mainly occurs after ingestion of contaminated water and food. Virulence genetic markers of 28 O157:H7 strains were investigated and multilocus enzyme electrophoresis (MLEE) was u...

CONTEXT The use of antibiotics for treatment of Escherichia coli O157:H7 infection has become controversial since a recent small study found that it may increase the risk of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). However, other larger studies have reported a protective effect or no association. OBJECTIVE To determine whether antibiotic therapy for E coli O157:H7 enteritis increases the risk of HUS....

Natural ecosystems show variable resistance to invasion by alien species, and this resistance can relate to the species diversity in the system. In soil, microorganisms are key components that determine life support functions, but the functional redundancy in the microbiota of most soils has long been thought to overwhelm microbial diversity-function relationships. We here show an inverse relat...