The extent to how Escherichia coli O157:H7 can survive in soil and the predominant factors that determine its survival are crucial issues from a public health point of view. This study investigated the survival of E. coli O157:H7 in vegetable soils in plastic-greenhouse cultivation over 0, 1, 4, 8, and 12 years in southern China. Results showed that the survival times ( td) calculated from the Weibull model for the five tested soils ranged from 9.00 to 21.11 days. In general, E. coli O157:H7 survived longer in open-field soils than in greenhouse soils under the same incubation conditions. The td values were greater in soils with a lower level of electrical conductivity, a higher level of total nitrogen, and a higher level of sand content. Compared to other factors, electrical conductivity was the most important factor affecting the survival of E. coli O157:H7 in the tested soils. Different survival times of E. coli O157:H7 in vegetable soils under diverse cultivation patterns highlight the importance of preventing pathogenic contamination for the purpose of food safety.
Keywords: O157:H7; Food safety; Plastic-greenhouse cultivation; Soil; Survival.