DNA hybridization and latex agglutination for detection of heat-labile- and shiga-like toxin-producing Escherichia coli in meat.

DNA-hybridization and latex-agglutination tests were used for screening of a group of Escherichia coli isolates for heat-labile enterotoxin (LT)- and shiga-like toxin (SLT1 or VT1) -producing strains, respectively. Strains tested originated from 162 meat samples (poultry, pigs and beef) chosen at random. Additionally LT- and SLT1-producing reference strains were tested. The DNA-hybridization technique allowed screening of large numbers of strains, whereas large scale testing of strains by latex agglutination was laborious. Of 800 E. coli strains tested by DNA hybridization none contained the gene encoding LT. Production of LT as tested by latex agglutination was not found. The gene encoding SLT1 was detected in 10 of the 800 isolates tested. None of these strains, however, showed cytotoxicity on Vero cells. Serotyping was done with sorbitol-negative E. coli strains, first by using the latex-agglutination test for O157 followed by complete serotyping. No E. coli of serogroup O157 were found. Therefore the results obtained also indicate that routine screening of E. coli isolated randomly from food for toxin production is not useful and should be limited to food-borne disease outbreaks with an etiology resembling an E. coli infection.