This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Omisakin, F.
Right arrow Articles by Strachan, N. J. C.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Omisakin, F.
Right arrow Articles by Strachan, N. J. C.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Omisakin, F.
Right arrow Articles by Strachan, N. J. C.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, May 2003, p. 2444-2447, Vol. 69, No. 5
0099-2240/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.69.5.2444-2447.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Concentration and Prevalence of Escherichia coli O157 in Cattle Feces at Slaughter

F. Omisakin,1 M. MacRae,2 I. D. Ogden,2 and N. J. C. Strachan1*

School of Biological Sciences,1 Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3UU, United Kingdom2

Received 15 October 2002/ Accepted 7 February 2003

The concentration and prevalence of Escherichia coli O157 in cattle feces at the time of slaughter was studied over a 9-week period from May to July 2002. Fecal samples (n = 589) were collected from the rectums of slaughtered cattle, and the animal-level prevalence rate was estimated to be 7.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.4 to 9.6%) while the group prevalence was 40.4% (95% CI, 27.7 to 53.2%). Of the 44 infected animals detected, 9% were high shedders that contained E. coli O157 at concentrations of >104 CFU g-1. These 9% represented >96% of the total E. coli O157 produced by all animals tested. All isolates possessed the vt2 gene, 39 had the eaeA gene, and a further five had the vt1 gene also. The presence of high-shedding animals at the abattoir increases the potential risk of meat contamination during the slaughtering process and stresses the need for correctly implemented hazard analysis and critical control point procedures.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: School of Biological Sciences, Cruickshank Building, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3UU, United Kingdom. Phone: 44 1224 272699. Fax: 44 1224 272703. E-mail: n.strachan{at}abdn.ac.uk.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, May 2003, p. 2444-2447, Vol. 69, No. 5
0099-2240/03/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.69.5.2444-2447.2003
Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Robinson, S.E, Brown, P.E, Wright, E.J, Hart, C.A, French, N.P (2009). Quantifying within- and between-animal variation and uncertainty associated with counts of Escherichia coli O157 occurring in naturally infected cattle faeces. J R Soc Interface 6: 169-177 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Brichta-Harhay, D. M., Guerini, M. N., Arthur, T. M., Bosilevac, J. M., Kalchayanand, N., Shackelford, S. D., Wheeler, T. L., Koohmaraie, M. (2008). Salmonella and Escherichia coli O157:H7 Contamination on Hides and Carcasses of Cull Cattle Presented for Slaughter in the United States: an Evaluation of Prevalence and Bacterial Loads by Immunomagnetic Separation and Direct Plating Methods. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 74: 6289-6297 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Arnold, M. E., Ellis-Iversen, J., Cook, A. J.C., Davies, R. H., McLaren, I. M., Kay, A. C.S., Pritchard, G. C. (2008). Investigation into the effectiveness of pooled fecal samples for detection of verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli O157 in cattle. jvdi 20: 21-27 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Navarro, A., Eslava, C., Garcia de la Torre, G., Leon, L. A., Licona, D., Leon, L., Zarco, L. A., Cravioto, A. (2007). Common epitopes in LPS of different Enterobacteriaceae are associated with an immune response against Escherichia coli O157 in bovine serum samples. J Med Microbiol 56: 1447-1454 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Liu, W.-c., Matthews, L., Chase-Topping, M., Savill, N. J, Shaw, D. J, Woolhouse, M. E.J (2007). Metapopulation dynamics of Escherichia coli O157 in cattle: an exploratory model. J R Soc Interface 4: 917-924 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Ongor, H., Kalin, R., Cetinkaya, B. (2007). Investigations of Escherichia coli O157 and some virulence genes in samples of meat and faeces from clinically healthy cattle in Turkey. Vet Rec. 161: 392-394 [Full Text]  
  • Fox, J. T., Renter, D. G., Sanderson, M. W., Thomson, D. U., Lechtenberg, K. F., Nagaraja, T. G. (2007). Evaluation of Culture Methods To Identify Bovine Feces with High Concentrations of Escherichia coli O157. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73: 5253-5260 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Chase-Topping, M. E., McKendrick, I. J., Pearce, M. C., MacDonald, P., Matthews, L., Halliday, J., Allison, L., Fenlon, D., Low, J. C., Gunn, G., Woolhouse, M. E. J. (2007). Risk Factors for the Presence of High-Level Shedders of Escherichia coli O157 on Scottish Farms. J. Clin. Microbiol. 45: 1594-1603 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Cobbold, R. N., Hancock, D. D., Rice, D. H., Berg, J., Stilborn, R., Hovde, C. J., Besser, T. E. (2007). Rectoanal Junction Colonization of Feedlot Cattle by Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Its Association with Supershedders and Excretion Dynamics. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73: 1563-1568 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Hussein, H. S. (2007). Prevalence and pathogenicity of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in beef cattle and their products. J ANIM SCI 85: E63-E72 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Gyles, C. L. (2007). Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli: An overview. J ANIM SCI 85: E45-E62 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • LeJeune, J. T., Hancock, D. D., Besser, T. E. (2006). Sensitivity of Escherichia coli O157 Detection in Bovine Feces Assessed by Broth Enrichment followed by Immunomagnetic Separation and Direct Plating Methodologies.. J. Clin. Microbiol. 44: 872-875 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Matthews, L., Low, J.C., Gally, D. L., Pearce, M. C., Mellor, D. J., Heesterbeek, J. A. P., Chase-Topping, M., Naylor, S. W., Shaw, D. J., Reid, S. W. J., Gunn, G. J., Woolhouse, M. E. J. (2006). Heterogeneous shedding of Escherichia coli O157 in cattle and its implications for control. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 103: 547-552 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Sproston, E. L., Macrae, M., Ogden, I. D., Wilson, M. J., Strachan, N. J. C. (2006). Slugs: Potential Novel Vectors of Escherichia coli O157. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72: 144-149 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Wells, J. E., Berry, E. D., Varel, V. H. (2005). Effects of Common Forage Phenolic Acids on Escherichia coli O157:H7 Viability in Bovine Feces. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71: 7974-7979 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Berry, E. D., Miller, D. N. (2005). Cattle Feedlot Soil Moisture and Manure Content: II. Impact on Escherichia coli O157. J. Environ. Qual. 34: 656-663 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Low, J. C., McKendrick, I. J., McKechnie, C., Fenlon, D., Naylor, S. W., Currie, C., Smith, D. G. E., Allison, L., Gally, D. L. (2005). Rectal Carriage of Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157 in Slaughtered Cattle. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71: 93-97 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Pearce, M. C., Fenlon, D., Low, J. C., Smith, A. W., Knight, H. I., Evans, J., Foster, G., Synge, B. A., Gunn, G. J. (2004). Distribution of Escherichia coli O157 in Bovine Fecal Pats and Its Impact on Estimates of the Prevalence of Fecal Shedding. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 70: 5737-5743 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • O'Flynn, G., Ross, R. P., Fitzgerald, G. F., Coffey, A. (2004). Evaluation of a Cocktail of Three Bacteriophages for Biocontrol of Escherichia coli O157:H7. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 70: 3417-3424 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»