Factors involved in the interactions between enteric bacteria and plants have been identified and consequently it was hypothesized that plants may be vectors or alternative hosts for enteric pathogens.
The persistence of enteric pathogens on plants has been studied extensively, mainly due to the potential hazard of human pathogens such as Salmonella enterica being able to invade and survive in/on plants.
However the role of the interactions between the host plant and enteric bacteria in control of the colonization on or in the plant is still greatly unknown.
In their reliance on self-produced cellulose for attachment to plant surfaces, enteric pathogens are similar to the plant symbiotic and pathogenic bacteria but differ from the interactions of Salmonella with animal tissues, where cellulose production is dispensable [24].
Therefore, to proliferate inside plant tissues, these enteric pathogens may rely on their ability to acquire simpler carbon sources.
Previous studies have indicated that plant hosts recognize human enteric pathogens and initiate defenses to limit colonization by these bacteria.
Thus it is reasonable to propose intimate interactions between the bacteria and the plant to ensure that the enteric pathogens fit the plant environment very quickly and survive in plants long enough and in sufficient numbers for infection of a new host.
Only three studies performed additional tests for selected human enteric viruses and parasites in the finished plant water, and no such organisms were detected (Colford et al. 2005b, as reported by LeChevallier et al. 2002; Payment et al. 1991, 1997).
In particular, it differs from the scr sucrose-utilization system from enteric bacteria, which is also present in the plant pathogenic bacterium Erwinia amylovora, where it plays a major role in plant colonization [75].
Recent outbreaks of vegetable-associated gastroenteritis suggest that enteric pathogens colonize, multiply and persist in plants for extended periods of time, eventually infecting people.
