Prevalence of Salmonella and E.coli O157 in some foods

A total of 200 raw food samples including milk, kareish cheese, fresh sausage and hawawshy (spiced minced meat) (Fifty of each) were randomly collected from farmer’s houses, butcher’s shops and retail markets in Beni-Suef Governorate. All were screened for the presence of E.coli O157 and Salmonella. E.coli O157 could be detected in 1 (2%) and 1 (2%) of kareish cheese and sausage samples, respectively, while it could not be detected in any of milk or hawawshy samples. Salmonella were detected in 2 (4%), 2 (4%) and 1 (2%) of kareish cheese, sausage and hawawshy samples, respectively, while they could not be recovered from the examined milk samples. The isolated serotypes from kareish cheese samples were S.menden and S.allerton, while two strains of S.III arizonae were isolated from sausage samples, but S.anatum was recovered from hawawshy samples. The public health significance of isolated strains as well as suggested control measures were discussed.