Prevalence and antibiotic resistance of escherichia coli O157:H7 isolated from bovine carcasses at slaughterhouses of the central Mexican Plateau [Prevalencia y resistencia a antibióticos de escherichia coli O157:H7 aislada de canales de bovinos sacrificados en rastros del altiplano central Mexicano]

Meat is the main vehicle for food poisoning as a result of poor hygiene in the slaughtering of animals or during the handling of carcasses. This study analyzes three municipal slaughterhouses of the Central Mexican Plateau. Two hundred and twenty eight paired samples were obtained from carcasses (n= 114) and colon content (n= 114) of cattle slaughtered at these abattoirs. Two (0.8 %) E. coli O157: NM strains from colon content and 6 (2.6 %) E. coli O157: H7 strains (5 carcasses and 1 colon content) were found. The percentage of isolation from each slaughterhouse was variable, finding significant differences (P