Abstract

Concern for pathogens in vegetables has risen because of increasing number of outbreaks of foodborne illnesses caused by consumption of fresh and minimally processed vegetables. Using bovine feces as fertilizer, which is the common organic fertilizer on farmlands in Iran, can pose risk of spreading and transmission of enteric pathogens such as Escherichia coli O157:H7 both by direct contact and consumption of produces grown on such farms. We obtained a total of 282 samples of soil and vegetables (lettuce, cabbage, carrot and radish sprout), from manure fertilized agriculture farms in Tabriz city. Phenotypic/biochemical characteristics followed by biochemical tests were performed. Multiplex PCR technique was used to confirm E. coli O157:H7 isolates. The data indicated that 5 samples of soils (1.77 %) and one sample of vegetable (0.35 %) of total samples were contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. Organic fertilizer used in farm lands in this study poses a supposed low risk in vegetables.

Key words: Foodborne, bovine feces, Escherichia coli O157:H7, raw vegetables, multiplex PCR.