Volume 14, Number 11—November 2008
Dispatch
Shiga Toxin–producing Escherichia coli Serogroups in Food and Patients, Germany
Dirk Werber
, Lothar Beutin, Rohtraud Pichner, Klaus Stark, and Angelika Fruth
, Lothar Beutin, Rohtraud Pichner, Klaus Stark, and Angelika Fruth
Table 1
Foods from which STEC was isolated in Germany, 1996–2004*
| Source | Origin | No. ruminant samples† | Total no. samples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Institute for Risk Assessment‡ | Ground beef§ | 112 | 112 |
| Game¶ | 57 | 85 | |
| Raw milk | 55 | 55 | |
| Beef and beef products | 43 | 43 | |
| Raw spreadable sausages | 20 | 20 | |
| Pork and pork products | 0 | 19 | |
| Cheese | 15 | 15 | |
| Other# |
2 |
7 |
|
| Max-Rubner Institute** | Raw spreadable sausages | 54 | 54 |
| Raw sausage meat | 34 | 34 | |
| Other†† |
2 |
3 |
|
| Total | 395 | 448 |
*STEC, Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli.
†Samples from food containing ruminant meat or of ruminant origin.
‡Isolates from governmental food inspection laboratories (2005–2007).
§Of these, 12 contained also ground meat from sheep.
¶Deer (n = 56), wild boar (n = 18), hare (n = 10), game unspecified (n = 1).
#Sheep meat (n = 2), duck, salad, flan, minced horse meat, river water (1 each).
**Isolates obtained during a series of investigations in selected meat-processing companies (1996–2004).
††Meat juice (n = 2), horse meat (n = 1).
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