PREVALENCE AND SURVIVAL OF ENTEROPATHOGENIC ESCHERICHIA COLI (EEC) IN YOGHURT

Document Type : Research article

Author

Abstract

30 yoghurt samples were collected randomly from Assiut city markets, and examined for presence of enteropathogenic E.coli (EEC). E.coli could be isolated from 46.6% of the 7 examined yoghurt samples. The highest frequency distribution of E.coli (23.3%) lies within the range of 10-100/g. Nine out of 14 E.coli strains isolated from yoghurt samples (64.3%) were serotypes of EEC. They were serotyped as 026/86, 025/Kll, 044/ B74, 0111/B, 0124/E17, 0125/B 15 and 0126/B16. Survival of EEC (Serotype 0125/815) in yoghurt kept at 5+1°C was also studied. EEC survived until the end of the tenth day of storage at a population of less than 10 cells/g. The pH value of yoghurt decreased from 6.5 to 4.5 by the end of preparation and reached to 3.9 at the end of refrigerated storage.