Fecal Shedding of Foodborne Pathogens by Florida-Born Heifers and Steers in U.S. Beef Production Segments†

2008 ◽  
Vol 71 (4) ◽  
pp. 807-810 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. G. RILEY ◽  
G. H. LONERAGAN ◽  
W. A. PHILLIPS ◽  
J. T. GRAY ◽  
P. J. FEDORKA-CRAY

The objective in this study was to assess breed effects in fecal prevalence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in heifers on a development program in Florida and in their steer half siblings in stocker and feedlot phases in Oklahoma. A secondary objective was to characterize fecal shedding of Campylobacter and Salmonella in subsets of the same samples. After weaning, heifers (n = 501; purebreds and F1 crosses of Angus, Brahman, and Romosinuano) were preconditioned and placed in a local development program. Steers (n = 481) were transported to Oklahoma, where they grazed wheat for 6 months and then were placed in feedlot pens. Fecal samples were obtained at least every 28 days for 12 months on most animals. None of the 10,982 samples tested positive for E. coli O157:H7. Overall fecal prevalences of Campylobacter and Salmonella in heifers were 1.7 and 0.04%, respectively. Corresponding overall prevalences in steer samples were 27.2 and 0.6%. Campylobacter isolates were mostly C. jejuni and were tetracycline resistant. Eight Salmonella isolates were Salmonella Typhimurium that were either quad or penta resistant, most often to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, sulfamexathole, and tetracycline. Feedlot steers had greater odds of positive detection of Campylobacter (odds ratio, 8.5; confidence interval, 3.7, 19.5) than when grazing winter wheat. No breed effect was detected for fecal prevalence of these pathogens.

2008 ◽  
Vol 71 (3) ◽  
pp. 539-544 ◽  
Author(s):  
EBOT S. TABE ◽  
JAMES OLOYA ◽  
DAWN K. DOETKOTT ◽  
MARC L. BAUER ◽  
PENELOPE S. GIBBS ◽  
...  

The effect of direct-fed microbials (DFM) on fecal shedding of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella in naturally infected feedlot cattle was evaluated in a clinical trial involving 138 feedlot steers. Following standard laboratory methods, fecal samples collected from steers were evaluated for change in the detectable levels of E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella shed in feces after DFM treatment. Sampling of steers was carried out every 3 weeks for 84 days. A significant reduction (32%) in fecal shedding of E. coli O157:H7 (P < 0.001), but not Salmonella (P = 0.24), was observed among the treatment steers compared with the control group during finishing. The probability of recovery of E. coli O157:H7 from the feces of treated and control steers was 34.0 and 66.0%, respectively. Steers placed on DFM supplement were almost three times less likely to shed E. coli O157:H7 (odds ratio, 0.36; 95% confidence interval, 0.25 to 0.53; P < 0.001) in their feces as opposed to their control counterparts. The probability of recovery of Salmonella from the feces of the control (14.0%) and the treated (11.3%) steers was similar. However, the DFM significantly reduced probability of new infections with Salmonella among DFM-treated cattle compared with controls (nontreated ones). It appears that DFM as applied in our study are capable of significantly reducing fecal shedding of E. coli O157:H7 in naturally infected cattle but not Salmonella. The factors responsible for the observed difference in the effects of DFM on E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella warrants further investigation.


1999 ◽  
Vol 62 (4) ◽  
pp. 307-312 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. GARBER ◽  
S. WELLS ◽  
L. SCHROEDER-TUCKER ◽  
K. FERRIS

Fecal samples were collected from 4,361 dairy cows on 91 dairy operations between 26 February and 8 July 1996. Fecal samples were cultured for Escherichia coli O157, and positive isolates were probed for verotoxin-producing genes. A total of 52 (1.2%) fecal samples on 22 (24.2%) operations were positive for verotoxin-producing E. coli O157. Herds in which samples were collected on or after 1 May 1996 were significantly more likely to test positive than herds sampled before that date (odds ratio = 7.7). Herds maintained on farms on which alleyways were flushed with water to remove manure were 8.0 times more likely to have samples test positive for verotoxin-producing E. coli O157 than were herds maintained on farms cleaned by use of other methods of manure removal.


2009 ◽  
Vol 89 (2) ◽  
pp. 285-293 ◽  
Author(s):  
S J Bach ◽  
R P Johnson ◽  
K. Stanford ◽  
T A McAllister

Bacteriophage biocontrol has potential as a means of mitigating the prevalence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in ruminants. The efficacy of oral administration of bacteriophages for reducing fecal shedding of E. coli O157:H7 by sheep was evaluated using 20 Canadian Arcott rams (50.0 ± 3.0) housed in four rooms (n = 5) in a contained facility. The rams had ad libitum access to drinking water and a pelleted barley-based total mixed ration, delivered once daily. Experimental treatments consisted of administration of E. coli O157:H7 (O157), E. coli O157:H7+bacteriophages (O157+phage), bacteriophages (phage), and control (CON). Oral inoculation of the rams with 109 CFU of a mixture of four nalidixic acid-resistant strains of E. coli O157:H7 was performed on day 0. A mixture of 1010 PFU of bacteriophages P5, P8 and P11 was administered on days -2, -1, 0, 6 and 7. Fecal samples collected on 14 occasions over 21 d were analyzed for E. coli O157:H7, total E. coli, total coliforms and bacteriophages. Sheep in treatment O157+phage shed fewer (P < 0.05) E. coli O157:H7 than did sheep in treatment O157. Populations of total coliforms and total E. coli were similar (P < 0.05) among treatments, implying that bacteriophage lysis of non-target E. coli and coliform bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract did not occur. Bacteriophage numbers declined rapidly over 21 d, which likely reduced the chance of collision between bacteria and bacteriophage. Oral administration of bacteriophages reduced shedding of E. coli O157:H7 by sheep, but a delivery system that would protect bacteriophages during passage through the intestine may increase the effectiveness of this strategy as well as allow phage to be administered in the feed.Key words: Escherichia coli O157:H7, bacteriophage, sheep, environment, coliforms


2004 ◽  
Vol 67 (4) ◽  
pp. 672-678 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. J. BACH ◽  
T. A. McALLISTER ◽  
G. J. MEARS ◽  
K. S. SCHWARTZKOPF-GENSWEIN

The effects of weaning and transport on fecal shedding of Escherichia coli and on E. coli O157:H7 were investigated using 80 Angus and 94 Charolais range steer calves blocked by breed and assigned to four treatments. The calves were or were not preconditioned before transport on commercial cattle liner to the feedlot via long (15 h) or short (3 h) hauling duration, yielding preconditioned long haul (P-L; n = 44), preconditioned short haul (P-S; n = 44), nonpreconditioned long haul (NP-L; n = 43), and nonpreconditioned short haul (NP-S; n = 43). Preconditioned calves were vaccinated and weaned 29 and 13 days, respectively, before transport. Nonpreconditioned calves were weaned 1 day before long or short hauling, penned for 24 h and hauled again for 2 h, and vaccinated on arrival at the feedlot. Fecal samples were collected from calves while on pasture, at weaning, at loading for transport, on arrival at the feedlot, twice in the first week, and on days 7, 14, 21, and 28 for enumeration of total E. coli (biotype 1) and detection of E. coli O157:H7. No calves were positive for E. coli O157:H7 before transport. Following transport, more (P &lt; 0.005) NP-L calves (6 of 43) tested positive for E. coli O157:H7 than did P-L (1 of 44), NP-S (1 of 43), or P-S (0 of 44) calves, and on days 0, 1, 7, and 21, their levels of shedding of E. coli were higher (P &lt; 0.005). The calves' susceptibility to infection from the environment (possibly the holding facilities or feedlot pens) was likely elevated by the stresses of weaning, transport, and relocation. Lack of preconditioning and long periods of transport (NP-L) increased fecal shedding of E. coli and E. coli O157:H7. Preconditioning may serve to reduce E. coli O157:H7 shedding by range calves on arrival at the feedlot.


2006 ◽  
Vol 69 (5) ◽  
pp. 1154-1158 ◽  
Author(s):  
MARGARET L. KHAITSA ◽  
MARC L. BAUER ◽  
GREGORY P. LARDY ◽  
DAWN K. DOETKOTT ◽  
REDEMPTA B. KEGODE ◽  
...  

Cattle are an important reservoir of Escherichia coli O157:H7, which can lead to contamination of food and water, and subsequent human disease. E. coli O157:H7 shedding in cattle has been reported as seasonal, with more animals shedding during summer and early fall than during winter. North Dakota has relatively cold weather, especially in winter and early spring, compared with many other regions of the United States. The objective was to assess fecal shedding of E. coli O157: H7 in North Dakota feedlot cattle over the fall, winter, and early spring. One hundred forty-four steers were assigned randomly to 24 pens on arrival at the feedlot. Samples of rectal feces were obtained from each steer four times (October and November 2003, and March and April 2004) during finishing. On arrival (October 2003), 2 (1.4%) of 144 cattle were shedding E. coli O157:H7. The shedding increased significantly to 10 (6.9%) of 144 after 28 days (November 2003), to 76 (53%) of 143 at the third sampling (March 2004), and dropped significantly to 30 (21%) of 143 at the fourth (last) sampling (March 2004) before slaughter. Unfortunately, we were unable to sample the cattle during winter because of the extreme weather conditions. Sampling time significantly (P &lt; 0.0001) influenced variability in E. coli O157:H7 shedding, whereas herd (P = 0.08) did not. The prevalence of E. coli O157:H7 shedding in North Dakota steers in fall and early spring was comparable to what has been reported in other parts of the United States with relatively warmer weather. Further research into E. coli O157:H7 shedding patterns during extreme weather such as North Dakota winters is warranted in order to fully assess the seasonal effect on the risk level of this organism.


2019 ◽  
Vol 82 (5) ◽  
pp. 815-825 ◽  
Author(s):  
MAHTA MOUSSAVI ◽  
VANESSA LIEBERMAN ◽  
CHRIS THEOFEL ◽  
JAVAD BAROUEI ◽  
LINDA J. HARRIS

ABSTRACT During harvest, pistachios are hulled, separated in water into floater and sinker streams (in large part on the basis of nut density), and then dried before storage. Higher prevalence and levels of Salmonella were previously observed in floater pistachios, but contributing factors are unclear. To examine the behavior of pathogens on hulled pistachios during simulated drying delays, floater and sinker pistachios collected from commercial processors were inoculated at 1 or 3 log CFU/g with cocktails of Salmonella and in some cases Escherichia coli O157:H7 or Listeria monocytogenes and incubated for up to 30 h at 37°C and 90% relative humidity. Populations were measured by plating onto tryptic soy agar and appropriate selective agars. In most cases, no significant growth (P &gt; 0.05) of Salmonella was observed in the first 3 h after inoculation in hulled floaters and sinkers. Growth of Salmonella was greater on floater pistachios than on corresponding sinkers and on floater pistachios with ≥25% hull adhering to the shell surface than on corresponding floaters with &lt;25% adhering hull. Maximum Salmonella populations (2 to 7 log CFU/g) were ∼2-log higher on floaters than on corresponding sinkers. The growth of E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella on hulled pistachios was similar, but a longer lag time (approximately 11 h) and significantly lower maximum populations (4 versus 5 to 6 log CFU/g; P &lt; 0.05) were predicted for L. monocytogenes. Significant growth of pathogens on hulled pistachios is possible when delays between hulling and drying are longer than 3 h, and pathogen growth is enhanced in the presence of adhering hull material.


2018 ◽  
Vol 81 (8) ◽  
pp. 1227-1235 ◽  
Author(s):  
MINGMING GUO ◽  
TONY Z. JIN ◽  
JOSHUA B. GURTLER ◽  
XUETONG FAN ◽  
MADHAV P. YADAV

ABSTRACT Antimicrobial washing (AW), antimicrobial coating (AC), and a combination of washing followed by coating (AW+AC) were evaluated for their ability to inactivate artificially inoculated foodborne pathogens and native microbiota on strawberries stored at 4°C. Strawberries were inoculated with a six-strain composite of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella; treated by AW, AC, or AW+AC; and stored at 4°C for 3 weeks. The washing solution contained 90 ppm of peracetic acid, and the coating solution consisted of chitosan (1%, w/v), allyl isothiocyanate (1%, v/v), and corn-bio fiber gum (5%, w/v). The effectiveness of the antimicrobial treatments against E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella pathogens and native microflora on strawberries and their impact on fruit quality (appearance, weight loss, color, and firmness) were determined. By the end of storage, pathogen populations on strawberries were 2.5 (AW+AC), 2.9 (AC), 3.8 (AW), and 4.2 log CFU for the positive (untreated) control. AW+AC treatments also inactivated the greatest population of native microflora, followed by the AC treatment alone. AW+AC treatments showed additional antimicrobial effectiveness against these two pathogens and native microflora. Both AW+AC and AC treatments preserved the color, texture, and appearance of strawberries throughout storage. The coating treatments (AW+AC and AC alone) further reduced the loss of moisture throughout storage. The AW treatment was the least effective in reducing populations of pathogens and native microflora and in maintaining the quality of strawberries throughout storage. This study demonstrates a method to improve the microbiological safety, shelf life, and quality of strawberries.


2000 ◽  
Vol 80 (4) ◽  
pp. 741-744 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. J. Buchko ◽  
R. A. Holley ◽  
W. O. Olson ◽  
V. P. J. Gannon ◽  
D. M. Veira

Cattle naturally infected with Escherichia coli O157:H7 were used to assess the effects of diet and feed withdrawal on the fecal shedding of E. coli O157:H7. Animals were fed an 80% concentrate diet (80% barley and 20% alfalfa silage), fasted for 48 h, fed a 100% forage diet (alfalfa silage), fasted for 48 h, and subsequently re-fed 100% forage (alfalfa silage). There were no differences in the numbers of animals positive for the shedding of E. coli O157:H7 when fed an 80% barley diet or an all-forage diet (P > 0.05) or during the fasting periods following each diet (P > 0.05). Upon re-feeding an all-forage diet following a 48-h fast, animals positive for E. coli O157:H7 shedding increased (P < 0.05), with 42.5% of the animals shedding the pathogen after 5 d. Re-feeding 100% forage following fasting appeared to have increased the number of animals shedding E. coli O157:H7 in their feces, which may have been influenced by diet in addition to fasting. Key words: Escherichia coli O157:H7, fasting, diet, cattle, fecal shedding


2014 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
pp. 100-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
MUHSIN AYDIN ◽  
GENE P. D. HERZIG ◽  
KWANG CHEOL JEONG ◽  
SAMANTHA DUNIGAN ◽  
PARTH SHAH ◽  
...  

Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a major foodborne pathogen that has posed serious problems for food safety and public health. Recent outbreaks and recalls associated with various foods contaminated by E. coli O157:H7 clearly indicate its deleterious effect on food safety. A rapid and sensitive detection assay is needed for this harmful organism to prevent foodborne illnesses and control outbreaks in a timely manner. We developed a magnetic bead–based immunoassay for detection of E. coli O157:H7 (the most well-known Shiga toxigenic E. coli strain) with a 96-well microplate as an assay platform. Immunomagnetic separation (IMS) and tyramide signal amplification were coupled to the assay to increase its sensitivity and specificity. This immunoassay was able to detect E. coli O157:H7 in pure culture with a detection limit of 50 CFU/ml in less than 3 h without an enrichment step. The detection limit was decreased 10-fold to 5 CFU/ml with addition of a 3-h enrichment step. When this assay was tested with other nontarget foodborne pathogens and common enteric bacteria, no cross-reactivity was found. When tested with artificially contaminated ground beef and milk samples, the assay sensitivity decreased two- to fivefold, with detection limits of 250 and 100 CFU/ml, respectively, probably because of the food matrix effect. The assay results also were compared with those of a sandwich-type enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and an ELISA coupled with IMS; the developed assay was 25 times and 4 times more sensitive than the standard ELISA and the IMS-ELISA, respectively. Tyramide signal amplification combined with IMS can improve sensitivity and specificity for detection of E. coli O157:H7. The developed assay could be easily adapted for other foodborne pathogens and will contribute to improved food safety and public health.


1999 ◽  
Vol 62 (8) ◽  
pp. 857-860 ◽  
Author(s):  
KUMAR S. VENKITANARAYANAN ◽  
GABRIEL O. I. EZEIKE ◽  
YEN-CON HUNG ◽  
MICHAEL P. DOYLE

One milliliter of culture containing a five-strain mixture of Escherichia coli O157:H7 (∼1010 CFU) was inoculated on a 100-cm2 area marked on unscarred cutting boards. Following inoculation, the boards were air-dried under a laminar flow hood for 1 h, immersed in 2 liters of electrolyzed oxidizing water or sterile deionized water at 23°C or 35°C for 10 or 20 min; 45°C for 5 or 10 min; or 55°C for 5 min. After each temperature–time combination, the surviving population of the pathogen on cutting boards and in soaking water was determined. Soaking of inoculated cutting boards in electrolyzed oxidizing water reduced E. coli O157:H7 populations by ≥5.0 log CFU/100 cm2 on cutting boards. However, immersion of cutting boards in deionized water decreased the pathogen count only by 1.0 to 1.5 log CFU/100 cm2. Treatment of cutting boards inoculated with Listeria monocytogenes in electrolyzed oxidizing water at selected temperature–time combinations (23°C for 20 min, 35°C for 10 min, and 45°C for 10 min) substantially reduced the populations of L. monocytogenes in comparison to the counts recovered from the boards immersed in deionized water. E. coli O157:H7 and L. monocytogenes were not detected in electrolyzed oxidizing water after soaking treatment, whereas the pathogens survived in the deionized water used for soaking the cutting boards. This study revealed that immersion of kitchen cutting boards in electrolyzed oxidizing water could be used as an effective method for inactivating foodborne pathogens on smooth, plastic cutting boards.


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