مجله میکروب شناسی پزشکی ایران

Background and Aim: Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a virulent strain known for producing a toxin called Shiga toxin, which can damage intestinal and kidney cells and lead to symptoms such as bloody diarrhea and kidney failure. Food poisoning is a significant public health issue worldwide.
Materials and Methods: Sixty-two food samples, including raw chicken meat, milk, and beef, were randomly collected from several supermarkets in different areas of Hamadan City, Iran. Additionally, 62 E. coli strains were collected from various clinical specimens, including wounds, urine, blood, and cerebrospinal fluid, from Besat Hospital in Hamadan, Iran, and analyzed for E. coli O157:H7 contamination. All samples were cultured on specific media, and any suspicious colonies were subjected to PCR for detection of E. coli O157 H7 strain using two target genes.
 Results: In total two clinical samples and 8 food samples tested positive for E. coli O157:H7 phenotypically. All ten isolates were positive for the presence of target genes using PCR. The highest frequency was related to contaminated food, particularly beef, with a frequency of 12.9%.
 Conclusion: The results indicate that the prevalence of this organism, especially in beef, is higher than the global average. Therefore, it is better to implement more precise controls in the production and maintenance processes of food samples.