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Longitudinal study of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in a beef cattle feedlot and role of high-level shedders in hide contamination - PubMed

Longitudinal study of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in a beef cattle feedlot and role of high-level shedders in hide contamination

Terrance M Arthur et al. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2009 Oct.

Abstract

The objectives of the study described here were (i) to investigate the dynamics of Escherichia coli O157:H7 fecal and hide prevalence over a 9-month period in a feedlot setting and (ii) to determine how animals shedding E. coli O157:H7 at high levels affect the prevalence and levels of E. coli O157:H7 on the hides of other animals in the same pen. Cattle (n = 319) were distributed in 10 adjacent pens, and fecal and hide levels of E. coli O157:H7 were monitored. When the fecal pen prevalence exceeded 20%, the hide pen prevalence was usually (25 of 27 pens) greater than 80%. Sixteen of 19 (84.2%) supershedder (>10(4) CFU/g) pens had a fecal prevalence greater than 20%. Significant associations with hide and high-level hide (>/=40 CFU/100 cm(2)) contamination were identified for (i) a fecal prevalence greater than 20%, (ii) the presence of one or more high-density shedders (>/=200 CFU/g) in a pen, and (iii) the presence of one or more supershedders in a pen. The results presented here suggest that the E. coli O157:H7 fecal prevalence should be reduced below 20% and the levels of shedding should be kept below 200 CFU/g to minimize the contamination of cattle hides. Also, large and unpredictable fluctuations within and between pens in both fecal and hide prevalence of E. coli O157:H7 were detected and should be used as a guide when preharvest studies, particularly preharvest intervention studies, are designed.

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Figures

**FIG. 1.**
Fecal prevalence and hide prevalence in 10 feedlot pens for 10 sequential sampling times, based on *E. coli* O157:H7 density. The monthly sampling prevalence and enumeration data for the different pens are shown. The horizontal lines indicate the 20% fecal prevalence and 80% hide prevalence values, which were defined as the threshold limits.

**FIG. 2.**
Distribution of *E. coli* O157:H7 counts. Sample enumeration values (≥200 CFU/g for feces and ≥40 CFU/100 cm² for hides) were log transformed and binned based on total counts. (A) Plot with fecal bin widths of 1.6 log₁₀ CFU/g. The population had a bimodal distribution. The dark gray bars indicate the lower-density population (high shedders), and the light gray bars indicate the higher-density population (supershedders). (B) Plot with hide bin widths of 1.6 log₁₀ CFU/100 cm².

**FIG. 3.**
Plot of fecal *E. coli* O157:H7 prevalence versus hide *E. coli* O157:H7 prevalence. The bivariate plot shows prevalence values for 90 feedlot cattle pens. A total of 319 cattle in 10 adjacent feedlot pens were sampled nine times from October through May. The dashed lines indicate 80% hide prevalence and 20% fecal prevalence.

**FIG. 4.**
Plot of hide *E. coli* O157:H7 prevalence versus high-density hide *E. coli* O157:H7 prevalence. The bivariate plot shows prevalence values for 90 feedlot cattle pens. A total of 319 cattle in 10 adjacent feedlot pens were sampled nine times from October through May. The dashed lines indicate 80% hide prevalence and 10% high-level hide prevalence (≥40 CFU/100 cm²).

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References

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Longitudinal study of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in a beef cattle feedlot and role of high-level shedders in hide contamination - PubMed