[Investigations of raw milk for Shiga-like toxin producing Escherichia coli by the polymerase chain reaction].

This is a report about the occurrence of Shiga-like toxin (SLT) producing Escherichia coli in milk in southern Sachsen-Anhalt. Samples were taken from tanks of milk at the farms. The samples were investigated by polymerase chain reaction as recommended by the "Bundesinstitut für gesundheitlichen Verbraucherschutz und Veterinärmedizin". Using PCR, in 11% of the tank samples sequences coding for SLT I and/or SLT II were detected. 75% of the as positive detected samples had eae gen. Some cows in these farms spread potentially enterohemorrhagic E. coli. These farms should not sell milk for raw consumption.