Isolation of Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli from lettuce samples in Tehran

Aim: The purpose of this study was to find the isolation rate of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) from lettuce samples collected in Tehran. Background: During the last decade, the prevalence of infectious diarrheal diseases due to consumption of contaminated food especially raw vegetable has been increasingly reported. Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli strains are an important group of diarrheagenic E. coli that can cause infant diarrhea especially in the developing world. Material and Methods: One hundred lettuce samples collected in Tehran were transported to the laboratory, homogenized by a stomacher in EC broth containing cefixime, and cultured on MacConkey agar plates. Bacterial DNA was extracted by boiling method and PCR was performed using three pairs of primers targeting stx1, stx2 and eaeA genes. Results: Screening of 100 lettuce samples by PCR showed four samples were positive for the presence of EPEC. Conclusion: This study suggests contamination of the lettuce by the EPEC and its possible role as the source of infection in this region.