Isolation and characterization of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 from beef, pork and cattle fecal samples in Changchun, China

Meat samples and fecal specimens from adult cattle were collected in Changchun, China and were examined for presence of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) serogroup O157. STEC O157 strains were isolated from 2 (5%) of 40 beef, 1 (3.3%) of 30 pork, and 3 (1.7%) of 176 adult cattle fecal samples. The strains belonged to phage types (PT) 4, 8, or 47. Two beef strains and a strain previously isolated from a patient in Shandong, China, were PT-4 and showed a similar PFGE pattern, suggesting the possibility of food-borne transmission. It is suggested that cattle are a reservoir of STEC O157:H7 and meat products are contaminated by this pathogen in Changchun, China as well as in other countries.