Prevalence of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. in Beef, Buffalo and Lamb Using Multiplex PCR

Background: meat contamination has been linked to consumer health problems, as proved by outbreaks and recalls from market places . escherichia coli o157:h7, listeria monocytogenes, and salmonella spp. are considered among the most important pathogens which can be spread through meat and meat products consumption.objectives: the aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of e. coli o157:h7, l. monocytogenes, and salmonella spp. in different kinds of meat marketed in ahvaz, south-west part of iran.materials and methods: a total of 210 samples of beef, buffalo and lamb meats were collected from retail outlets and popular supermarkets. after each single pathogen and dna extraction, multiplex pcr as a rapid and cost-effective method was carried out to determine the prevalence of the pathogens in the samples.results: l. monocytogenes was detected in 2.8% of beef and buffalo samples and 4.3% of lamb samples. e. coli o157:h7 was detected in 2.8% of beef and 1.4% of buffalo samples. however, no contamination with this pathogen was found in lamb samples. the prevalence of salmonella spp. in beef, buffalo and lamb samples was 4.3, 2.8 and 7.1%, respectively.conclusions: due to the presence and potential hazard of e. coli o157:h7, l. monocytogenes, and salmonella spp. in meat samples, the detection of these pathogens in different kinds of meat is crucial to safeguard public health.