[Hygienic-sanitary quality in abattoirs from Tucuman province, Argentina. Detection, isolation and characterization of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli].

Cattle are the main reservoir of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), and the strategies to prevent the transmission of these microorganisms are concentrated in the slaughtering plant. The aim of this study was to evaluate the hygienic-sanitary quality and the frequency of detection of STEC in beef carcasses in abattoirs from Tucuman province. Two hundred and seventy four beef carcass sponges were processed; the count of generic E. coli was marginal in 9 (3,3%) of them. Escherichia coli O157 was isolated in 4 (1,4%) samples; 2 of which were characterized as stx/eae/ehxA whereas the other 2 were non-toxigenic strains. Non-O157 E. coli ONT:H49, stx/ehxA/saa was isolated from 1 sample (0,4%). In this work the quality of the analyzed product indicates that the good practices of manufacture are fulfilled in slaughtering facilities in Tucumán province.