FIG 2.
Percentages of occurrence of E. coli O157:H7, O104:H4, and O157:NM in the EHEC cocktail used as an inoculum in fermented sausages. Homogenized sausage samples were spread on SMAC agar for quantitative enumeration of EHEC, and isolates were further characterized. Red sorbitol-fermenting isolates were cultivated on ESBL agar for the screening of β-lactamase activity. Further molecular traits (the presence or absence of the virulence markers stx1, stx2, and eae) were used for identification of the different EHEC strains. Values are averages for three independent experiments; n, number of isolates.