Prevalence and potential link between E. coli O157:H7 isolated from drinking water, meat and vegetables and stools of diarrhoeic confirmed and non-confirmed HIV/AIDS patients in the Amathole District - South Africa

Aim:  The current study investigated the prevalence and molecular relatedness between Escherichia coli O157:H7 isolated from water, meat and meat products and vegetables and from stools of confirmed and non-confirmed Human Immune Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) patients with diarrhoea.
Methods and Results:  Culture-based and polymerase chain reaction techniques were used to identify E . coli O157:H7. Thirty-five per cent of meat products, 25·5% of water, 21·7% of vegetables as well as 56·5% and 43·5% of stools of confirmed and non-confirmed HIV/AIDS patients, respectively, were presumptively positive with E . coli O157. Molecular results indicated that 10·3%, 8·6% and 7·8% of the vegetables, water and meat products examined carried E . coli O157:H7, which had homologous fliC _H7 , rfbE _O157 and eaeA genetic loci to the genes of some E . coli O157:H7 isolated from 12·2% and 8·8% of the stools of confirmed and non-confirmed HIV/AIDS patients, respectively.
Conclusions:  Water, meat and meat products and vegetables are potential sources of E . coli O157:H7 that are potentially capable of causing diarrhoea in humans especially HIV/AIDS patients.
Significance and Impact of the Study:  Great care should be exercised to ensure that water and foods consumed by HIV/AIDS patients are safe, as contaminated water and foods can cause secondary infections in these patients.