Isolation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 from raw ewes' and goats' milk in Greece.

The presence of Escherichia (E.) coli O157:H7 was investigated in raw ewes' and goats' milk samples from northern Greece. One hundred and sixteen raw milk samples originating from an equal number of different flocks were tested for the presence of E. coli O157:H7 using the standard cultural method and immunomagnetic separation. The pathogen was detected in 15 out of the 116 milk samples on the basis of biochemical and serological tests. Isolates of ten samples revealed the presence of the VT1 gene and the isolate of one sample showed both VT1 and VT2 genes when analyzed by polymerase chain reaction. The investigation revealed a significant incidence rate of the pathogen in unpasteurized milk used for traditional dairy products.