Enteropathogens detection and susceptibility testing to sanitizer agents of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli strains isolated from the beaches of São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil

Authors

  • Nathalia Cunha Almeida
  • André Luiz Raposo Barros
  • Saulo Pereira Arouche
  • Thiago Azevedo Feitosa Ferro
  • Flávio Henrique Reis Moraes
  • Valério Monteiro Neto
  • Patricia de Maria Silva Figueiredo

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5216/rpt.v41i3.20757

Keywords:

Enterobacteriaceae, Escherichia coli, Public Health.

Abstract

The city of São Luís, capital of Maranhão state (Brazil), provides ineffective treatment of its effluents, which are released straight into the water resources. In order to search for indicators of fecal contamination at the coastal environment we collected samples from different sites. Samples from Ponta d’Areia, São Marcos, Calhau and Olho d’Água beaches were analyzed aiming to detect pathogens and diarrheagenic strains of Escherichia coli; in addition to test the susceptibility of diarrheagenic E. coli strains to sanitizer agents. In all analyzed areas, species of E. coli, Serratia liquefaciens, Hafnia alvei, Salmonella spp., and Serratia sp were identified. Strains
of diarrheagenic E. coli were identified thorough the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), 82% corresponded to enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC), 9% to enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) and 9% to enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC). The sanitizers tested were detergent, domestic alcohol and sodium hypochlorite, the latter presented higher bactericidal effect for all E. coli strains. The study showed that the local sanitation problems contributed to the contamination of the beaches in São
Luís by microorganisms resistant to sanitizers which pose risks to public health.

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How to Cite

ALMEIDA, N. C.; BARROS, A. L. R.; AROUCHE, S. P.; FERRO, T. A. F.; MORAES, F. H. R.; MONTEIRO NETO, V.; FIGUEIREDO, P. de M. S. Enteropathogens detection and susceptibility testing to sanitizer agents of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli strains isolated from the beaches of São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil. Revista de Patologia Tropical / Journal of Tropical Pathology, Goiânia, v. 41, n. 3, 2012. DOI: 10.5216/rpt.v41i3.20757. Disponível em: https://revistas.ufg.br/iptsp/article/view/20757. Acesso em: 17 may. 2024.

Issue

Section

ORIGINAL ARTICLES