Journal article
Rectoanal Junction Colonization of Feedlot Cattle by Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Its Association with Supershedders and Excretion Dynamics
Applied and environmental microbiology, Vol.73(5), pp.1563-1568
03/2007
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/115690
PMCID: PMC1828767
PMID: 17220263
Abstract
Feedlot cattle were observed for fecal excretion of and rectoanal junction (RAJ) colonization with
Escherichia coli
O157:H7 to identify potential “supershedders.” RAJ colonization and fecal excretion prevalences were correlated, and
E. coli
O157:H7 prevalences and counts were significantly greater for RAJ samples. Based on a comparison of RAJ and fecal ratios of
E. coli
O157:H7/
E. coli
counts, the RAJ appears to be preferentially colonized by the O157:H7 serotype. Five supershedders were identified based on persistent colonization with high concentrations of
E. coli
O157:H7. Cattle copenned with supershedders had significantly greater mean pen
E. coli
O157:H7 RAJ and fecal prevalences than noncopenned cattle. Cumulative fecal
E. coli
O157:H7 excretion was also significantly higher for pens housing a supershedder.
E. coli
O157:H7/
E. coli
count ratios were higher for supershedders than for other cattle, indicating greater proportional colonization. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis demonstrated that isolates from supershedders and copenned cattle were highly related. Cattle that remained negative for
E. coli
O157:H7 throughout sampling were five times more likely to have been in a pen that did not house a supershedder. The data from this study support an association between levels of fecal excretion of
E. coli
O157:H7 and RAJ colonization in pens of feedlot cattle and suggest that the presence of supershedders influences group-level excretion parameters. An improved understanding of individual and population transmission dynamics of
E. coli
O157:H7 can be used to develop preslaughter- and slaughter-level interventions that reduce contamination of the food chain.
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Details
- Title
- Rectoanal Junction Colonization of Feedlot Cattle by Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Its Association with Supershedders and Excretion Dynamics
- Creators
- Rowland N Cobbold - Field Disease Investigation Unit, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164-6610Dale D Hancock - Field Disease Investigation Unit, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164-6610Daniel H Rice - Field Disease Investigation Unit, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164-6610Janice Berg - Field Disease Investigation Unit, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164-6610Robert Stilborn - Field Disease Investigation Unit, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164-6610Carolyn J Hovde - Field Disease Investigation Unit, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164-6610Thomas E Besser - Field Disease Investigation Unit, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164-6610
- Publication Details
- Applied and environmental microbiology, Vol.73(5), pp.1563-1568
- Academic Unit
- Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Department of; Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, Department of
- Publisher
- American Society for Microbiology
- Identifiers
- 99900547457701842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article