Prevalence of E. coli O157:H7 in Raw Minced Beef at Slaughterhouses in Tripoli, Lebanon

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a pathogenic strain associated with infections caused by consumption of undercooked raw meat. Sensitive and rapid detection methods for this pathogen are essential for the meat industry to ensure a safe meat supply. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of E. coli O157:H7 in raw minced beef. A total of 80 raw minced meat samples were collected from eighty different slaughterhouses. Samples were investigated for the presence of E. coli O157:H7 by using VIDAS system followed by culture, biochemical characterization and PCR confirmation.It was observed that 18.8% (15/80) of samples were positive for E. coli O157:H7 by VIDAS, 33.33% (5/15) were identified as E. coli by conventional biochemical tests, while toxin genes amplification by PCR showed negative results for all samples 0%.