Surface water is one of the primary sources of irrigation water for produce production; therefore, its contamination by foodborne pathogens, such as Salmonella, may substantially impact public health. In this study, we determined the presence of Salmonella in surface water and characterized the relationship between Salmonella detection and environmental and anthropogenic factors. From April 2019 to February 2020, 120 samples from 30 sites were collected monthly in four watersheds located in two different central Chile agricultural regions (N = 1080).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCattle are the main reservoir of Shiga toxin-producing (STEC), one of the world's most important foodborne pathogens. The pathogen causes severe human diseases and outbreaks. This study aimed to identify and characterize non-O157 STEC isolated from cattle feces from central and southern Chile.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFShiga toxin-producing (STEC) causes foodborne outbreaks that can lead to complications such as hemolytic uremic syndrome. Their main reservoir is cattle, and ground beef has been frequently associated with disease and outbreaks. In this study, we attempted to understand the genetic relationship among STEC isolated in Chile from different sources, their relationship to STEC from the rest of the world, and to identify molecular markers of Chilean STEC.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFShiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is one of the main cause of foodborne disease worldwide, but isolation rates or characteristics of this bacteria from ground beef in Chile are unknown. The present study aimed to isolate and characterize non-O157 STEC from ground beef sold at retail in the city of Santiago, Chile. We analyzed 430 ground beef samples for the presence of STEC, and isolated the microorganism in 10% of samples (43/430).
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