Optimal growth temperature of O157 and non-O157 Escherichia coli strains

Aims: There are several biological characteristics that differ between Escherichia coli O157:H7, a dangerous food-borne pathogen, and the other serotypes of E. coli. Methods and Results: The optimal growth temperatures (T-opt) were determined for 32 E. coli strains, whether each strain belonged to the O157 serotype or not. The mean values of T-opt for the O157 and non-O157 groups were 40.2 and 41.2 degreesC, respectively. Significance and Impact of the Study: This difference is statistically significant (P=00002) but has no biological implication.