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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, January 2003, p. 554-561, Vol. 69, No. 1
0099-2240/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.69.1.554-561.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Longitudinal Study of Escherichia coli O157 in a Cattle Finishing Unit

Elina Lahti,1* Olli Ruoho,2 Leila Rantala,1 Marja-Liisa Hänninen,3 and Tuula Honkanen-Buzalski1

National Veterinary and Food Research Institute (EELA), 00581 Helsinki,1 The Association for Animal Disease Prevention (ETT), 60101 Seinäjoki,2 Department of Food and Environmental Hygiene, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland3

Received 13 March 2002/ Accepted 4 October 2002

In a longitudinal study in a Finnish cattle finishing unit we investigated excretion and sources of Escherichia coli O157 in bulls from postweaning until slaughter. Three groups of 31 to 42 calves were sampled in a calf transporter before they entered the farm and four to seven times at approximately monthly intervals at the farm. All calves sampled in the livestock transporter were negative for E. coli O157 on arrival, whereas positive animals were detected 1 day later. During the fattening period the E. coli O157 infection rate varied between 0 and 38.5%. The animals were also found to be shedding during the cold months. E. coli O157 was isolated from samples taken from water cups, floors, and feed passages. E. coli O157 was detected in 9.7 to 38.9% of the fecal samples taken at slaughter, while only two rumen samples and one carcass surface sample were found to be positive. E. coli O157 was isolated from barn surface samples more often when the enrichment time was 6 h than when the enrichment time was 24 h (P < 0.0001). Fecal samples taken at the abattoir had lower counts (<=0.4 MPN/g) than fecal samples at the farm (P < 0.05). E. coli O157 was isolated more often from 10-g fecal samples than from 1-g fecal samples (P < 0.0001). Most farm isolates belonged to one pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) genotype (79.6%), and the rest belonged to closely related PFGE genotypes. In conclusion, this study indicated that the finishing unit rather than introduction of new cattle was the source of E. coli O157 at the farm and that E. coli O157 seemed to persist well on barn surfaces.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: National Veterinary and Food Research Institute (EELA), Box 45 (Hämeentie 57), 00581 Helsinki, Finland. Phone: 358-9-3931 706. Fax: 358-9-3931 907. E-mail: elina.lahti{at}eela.fi.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, January 2003, p. 554-561, Vol. 69, No. 1
0099-2240/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.69.1.554-561.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



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