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 Fratamico, P. M.
Right arrow Articles by Solow, B. T.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Fratamico, P. M.
Right arrow Articles by Solow, B. T.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Fratamico, P. M.
Right arrow Articles by Solow, B. T.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, December 2004, p. 7173-7178, Vol. 70, No. 12
0099-2240/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.70.12.7173-7178.2004

Prevalence and Characterization of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli in Swine Feces Recovered in the National Animal Health Monitoring System's Swine 2000 Study

Pina M. Fratamico,1* Lori K. Bagi,1 Eric J. Bush,2 and Barbara T. Solow1,{dagger}

Microbial Food Safety Research Unit, Eastern Regional Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania,1 Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Center for National Animal Health Surveillance, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Fort Collins, Colorado2

Received 6 April 2004/ Accepted 3 August 2004

A study was conducted to determine the prevalence of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in swine feces in the United States as part of the National Animal Health Monitoring System's Swine 2000 study. Fecal samples collected from swine operations from 13 of the top 17 swine-producing states were tested for the presence of STEC. After enrichment of swine fecal samples in tryptic soy broth, the samples were tested for the presence of stx1 and stx2 by use of the TaqMan E. coli STX1 and STX2 PCR assays. Enrichments of samples positive for stx1 and/or stx2 were plated, and colony hybridization was performed using digoxigenin-labeled probes complementary to the stx1 and stx2 genes. Positive colonies were picked and confirmed by PCR for the presence of the stx1, stx2, or stx2e genes, and the isolates were serotyped. Out of 687 fecal samples tested using the TaqMan assays, 70% (484 of 687) were positive for Shiga toxin genes, and 54% (370 of 687), 64% (436 of 687), and 38% (261 of 687) were positive for stx1, stx2, and both toxin genes, respectively. Out of 219 isolates that were characterized, 29 (13%) produced stx1, 14 (6%) produced stx2, and 176 (80%) produced stx2e. Twenty-three fecal samples contained at least two STEC strains that had different serotypes but that had the same toxin genes or included a strain that possessed stx1 in addition to a strain that possessed stx2 or stx2e. The STEC isolates belonged to various serogroups, including O2, O5, O7, O8, O9, OX10, O11, O15, OX18, O20, O57, O65, O68, O69, O78, O91, O96, O100, O101, O120, O121, O152, O159, O160, O163, and O untypeable. It is noteworthy that no isolates of serogroup O157 were recovered. Results of this study indicate that swine in the United States harbor STEC that can potentially cause human illness.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Eastern Regional Research Center, 600 E. Mermaid La., Wyndmoor, PA 19038. Phone: (215) 233-6525. Fax: (215) 233-6581. E-mail: pfratamico{at}errc.ars.usda.gov.

{dagger} Present address: Dynport Vaccine Company, Frederick, MD 21702.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, December 2004, p. 7173-7178, Vol. 70, No. 12
0099-2240/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.70.12.7173-7178.2004




This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Lamendella, R., Santo Domingo, J. W., Yannarell, A. C., Ghosh, S., Di Giovanni, G., Mackie, R. I., Oerther, D. B. (2009). Evaluation of Swine-Specific PCR Assays Used for Fecal Source Tracking and Analysis of Molecular Diversity of Swine-Specific "Bacteroidales" Populations. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 75: 5787-5796 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Haack, S. K., Duris, J. W., Fogarty, L. R., Kolpin, D. W., Focazio, M. J., Furlong, E. T., Meyer, M. T. (2009). Comparing Wastewater Chemicals, Indicator Bacteria Concentrations, and Bacterial Pathogen Genes as Fecal Pollution Indicators. J. Environ. Qual. 38: 248-258 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Beutin, L., Kruger, U., Krause, G., Miko, A., Martin, A., Strauch, E. (2008). Evaluation of Major Types of Shiga Toxin 2e-Producing Escherichia coli Bacteria Present in Food, Pigs, and the Environment as Potential Pathogens for Humans. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 74: 4806-4816 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Uhlich, G. A., Sinclair, J. R., Warren, N. G., Chmielecki, W. A., Fratamico, P. (2008). Characterization of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Isolates Associated with Two Multistate Food-Borne Outbreaks That Occurred in 2006. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 74: 1268-1272 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Ishii, S., Meyer, K. P., Sadowsky, M. J. (2007). Relationship between Phylogenetic Groups, Genotypic Clusters, and Virulence Gene Profiles of Escherichia coli Strains from Diverse Human and Animal Sources. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73: 5703-5710 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Beutin, L., Miko, A., Krause, G., Pries, K., Haby, S., Steege, K., Albrecht, N. (2007). Identification of Human-Pathogenic Strains of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli from Food by a Combination of Serotyping and Molecular Typing of Shiga Toxin Genes. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73: 4769-4775 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Wu, X.-Y., Chapman, T., Trott, D. J., Bettelheim, K., Do, T. N., Driesen, S., Walker, M. J., Chin, J. (2007). Comparative Analysis of Virulence Genes, Genetic Diversity, and Phylogeny of Commensal and Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli Isolates from Weaned Pigs. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73: 83-91 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Sonntag, A.-K., Bielaszewska, M., Mellmann, A., Dierksen, N., Schierack, P., Wieler, L. H., Schmidt, M. A., Karch, H. (2005). Shiga Toxin 2e-Producing Escherichia coli Isolates from Humans and Pigs Differ in Their Virulence Profiles and Interactions with Intestinal Epithelial Cells. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71: 8855-8863 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Steele, C. M., Brown, R. N., Botzler, R. G. (2005). PREVALENCES OF ZOONOTIC BACTERIA AMONG SEABIRDS IN REHABILITATION CENTERS ALONG THE PACIFIC COAST OF CALIFORNIA AND WASHINGTON, USA. J Wildl Dis 41: 735-744 [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»