Abstract

ARIAS, María Laura; MONGE-ROJAS, Rafael; CHAVES, Carolina  and  ANTILLON, Florencia. Effect of storage temperaturas on growth and survival of Escherichia coli 0157: H7 inoculated in foods from a neotropical environment. Rev. biol. trop [online]. 2001, vol.49, n.2, pp.517-524. ISSN 0034-7744.

Escherichia coli 0157: H7 has emerged as a new pathogen and is found worldwide. We studied the effect of several storage temperatures on the survival of this bacterium in common foods from a neotropical environment (Costa Rica) because at least seven clinical cases have been reported from the country, and no epidemiological link or probable food association has been described. High (10⁶- 10⁸ CFU/ml) and low (10⁴-10⁶ CFU/ml) populations of E. coli were inoculated (three replications) in ground meat, chopped cabbage, chicken giblets and pasteurized milk and incubated at 0, 6 and 12 °C for 24, 48 and 72 h. Vegetables and milk were also stored at 22 °C for the sarne periods.The E. coli 0157: H7 enumeration was done according to the methodology describes in the Bacteriological Analytical Manual. Populations of E. coli 0157: H7 showed either an increasing or decreasing trend, according to temperature, time or food base. Our data indicate that E. coli 0157: H7 is capable of surviving and growing in meat, cabbage, milk and chicken giblets; food items commonly consunied by Costa Ricans.

Keywords : Escherichia coli 0157: H7; meat; milk; cabbage; chicken giblets; survival.