Escherichia coli ENTEROPATOGENA EN MOLUSCOS CRUDOS Y COCIDOS Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli in Raw and Cooked Molluscs

The consumption of raw oysters (Pinctada imbricata) and hard clams (Arca zebra), represents a traditional food in Cumana, Sucre state, Venezuela, and they are prepared without sanitary control. Samples of oysters and hard clams were taken for bacteriological studies, in order to determinate sanitary condition. Faecal coliforms (FC) (COVENIN 1086-84) and presence of enteropathogenic E. coli (ECEP) according Hitchins et al. were evaluated. Serology of suspicious strains was determined by agglutination with polivalent antisera. The samples showed the following results: oysters 1.2 x 10 3 -3 .9 x1 0 7 UFC/g, clams 1.2 x 10 4 – 1.2 x10 8 CFU/g. Eighty strains of E. coli were isolated, being 67.5% comensal and 32.5% agglutinated with the used antisera. The presence of possible enteropathogenic E. coli in both samples and the high coliform counts evidences unadecuate practices during the preparation; retail and consumption of the pickles.