Viable but non-culturable state and toxin gene expression of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157 under cryopreservation

As major food-borne pathogens worldwide, Escherichia coli are capable of toxin production directly causing severe human disease. However, routine methods are incapable of detecting viable but non-culturable (VBNC) bacteria in food products and raw materials, leading to false-negative identification. In this study, VBNC E. coli O157 strains were acquired after cryopreservation at −20 °C, with and without freeze-thawing; morphology was observed to be of shorter rod-shape, and toxin expression remained at relatively high levels. PMA-PCR assay for VBNC detection was also validated. Therefore, these results suggest that VBNC E. coli O157 strains may represent a strong threat to public health and food safety.