Effect of bismuth hidroxide gel on Verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli

Abstract

Introduction: Verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC) are a group of pathogens known because of its importance in public health. They can cause diarrhea, hemorrhagic colitis, and uremic hemolytic syndrome mainly in children. Cattle are one of the main reservoirs of VTEC, they carry these pathogens into their gastrointestinal tract (GIT), and shed them with feces, contaminating the environment. At slaughter, carcasses can become contaminated if output of gastrointestinal contents, thus VTEC would enter the food chain. Some approaches have been made in the control of the reservoir at farm level to reduce the carrying of VTEC by bovine in an attempt to limit potential contamination of meat. As the bismuth hydroxide gel is widely used in humans for the treatment of diarrhea, the aim of this work was to investigate if the use of bismuth hydroxide gel (active ingredient of Crema de Bismuto Chobet) has any some effect on the survival of VTEC in vitro.