Persistence of verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 in calves kept on pasture and in calves kept indoors during the summer months in a Swedish dairy herd

Shiga Toxin-Producing E. coli in Animals: Detection, Characterization, and Virulence Assessment

Cattle and other ruminants are primary reservoirs for Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains which have a highly variable, but unpredictable, pathogenic potential for humans. Domestic swine can carry and shed STEC, but only STEC strains producing the Shiga toxin (Stx) 2e variant and causing edema disease in piglets are considered pathogens of veterinary medical interest. In this chapter, we present general diagnostic workflows for sampling livestock animals to assess STEC prevalence, magnitude, and duration of host colonization. This is followed by detailed method protocols for STEC detection and typing at genetic and phenotypic levels to assess the relative virulence exerted by the strains.

The Role of Escherichia coli Shiga Toxins in STEC Colonization of Cattle

Many cattle are persistently colonized with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and represent a major source of human infections with human-pathogenic STEC strains (syn. enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC)). Intervention strategies most effectively protecting humans best aim at the limitation of bovine STEC shedding. Mechanisms enabling STEC to persist in cattle are only partialy understood. Cattle were long believed to resist the detrimental effects of Shiga toxins (Stxs), potent cytotoxins acting as principal virulence factors in the pathogenesis of human EHEC-associated diseases. However, work by different groups, summarized in this review, has provided substantial evidence that different types of target cells for Stxs exist in cattle. Peripheral and intestinal lymphocytes express the Stx receptor globotriaosylceramide (Gb₃syn. CD77) in vitro and in vivo in an activation-dependent fashion with Stx-binding isoforms expressed predominantly at early stages of the activation process. Subpopulations of colonic epithelial cells and macrophage-like cells, residing in the bovine mucosa in proximity to STEC colonies, are also targeted by Stxs. STEC-inoculated calves are depressed in mounting appropriate cellular immune responses which can be overcome by vaccination of the animals against Stxs early in life before encountering STEC. Considering Stx target cells and the resulting effects of Stxs in cattle, which significantly differ from effects implicated in human disease, may open promising opportunities to improve existing yet insufficient measures to limit STEC carriage and shedding by the principal reservoir host.

Verotoxigenic Escherichia coli O157:H7 from Swedish cattle; isolates from prevalence studies versus strains linked to human infections--a retrospective study

Background

Several cases of human infection caused by verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC) O157:H7 in Sweden have been connected with cattle farm visits. Between 1996 and 2002, 18 farms were classified as the source of human cases with isolation of EHEC (Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli) after VTEC O157:H7 had been isolated from cattle on those farms.

Results

Characterization by phage typing and molecular methods of the strains isolated from these 18 farms, including PCR for virulence genes (vtx₁, vtx₂ and variants thereof, eaeA and EHEC-hlyA) and Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE), demonstrated a cluster of very similar strains from 16 farms. All were of phage type 4, carried the genes encoding the verotoxins VT2 and VT2c, intimin, EHEC-haemolysin and flagellin H7 as shown by PCR, and had identical or very similar PFGE patterns. When analysing strains in a prevalence study of VTEC O157:H7 from cattle at slaughter as well as from an on-farm prevalence study of dairy cattle, using the same typing methods, a rather wide variation was observed among the isolated VTEC O157:H7 strains.

Conclusions

In Sweden, a limited group of genetically similar and highly pathogenic VTEC O157:H7 strains seem to predominate in direct or indirect transmission from cattle to man.

Escherichia coli O157:H7 in environments of culture-positive cattle

Outbreaks of Escherichia coli O157:H7 disease associated with animal exhibits have been reported with increasing frequency. Transmission can occur through contact with contaminated haircoats, bedding, farm structures, or water. We investigated the distribution and survival of E. coli O157:H7 in the immediate environments of individually housed, experimentally inoculated cattle by systematically culturing feed, bedding, water, haircoat, and feed bunk walls for E. coli O157:H7 for 3 months. Cedar chip bedding was the most frequently culture-positive environmental sample tested (27/96 or 28.15%). Among these, 12 (44.0%) of positive bedding samples were collected when the penned animal was fecal culture negative. Survival of E. coli O157:H7 in experimentally inoculated cedar chip bedding and in grass hay feed was determined at different temperatures. Survival was longest in feed at room temperature (60 days), but bacterial counts decreased over time. The possibility that urine plays a role in the environmental survival of E. coli O157:H7 was investigated. Cedar chip bedding moistened with sterile water or bovine urine was inoculated with E. coli O157:H7. Bedding moistened with urine supported growth of E. coli O157:H7, whereas inoculated bedding moistened with only water yielded decreasing numbers of bacteria over time. The findings that environmental samples were frequently positive for E. coli O157:H7 at times when animals were culture negative and that urine provided a substrate for E. coli O157:H7 growth have implications for understanding the on-farm ecology of this pathogen and for the safety of ruminant animal exhibits, particularly petting zoos and farms where children may enter animal pens.

Comparison of diversities of Escherichia coli O157 shed from a cohort of spring-born beef calves at pasture and in housing

A cohort of spring-born beef calves demonstrated limited genetic and phenotypic diversity of Escherichia coli O157 when kept in a state of isolation. Despite this, there was a difference in the pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and phage types of isolates shed by cattle at pasture compared with those shed by the same cattle when weaned and housed.

Analyses of livestock production, waste storage, and pathogen levels and prevalences in farm manures

Survey results describing the levels and prevalences of zoonotic agents in 1,549 livestock waste samples were analyzed for significance with livestock husbandry and farm waste management practices. Statistical analyses of survey data showed that livestock groups containing calves of <3 months of age, piglets, or lambs had higher prevalences and levels of Campylobacter spp. and Escherichia coli O157 in their wastes. Younger calves that were still receiving milk, however, had significantly lower levels and prevalence of E. coli O157. Furthermore, when wastes contained any form of bedding, they had lowered prevalences and levels of both pathogenic Listeria spp. and Campylobacter spp. Livestock wastes generated by stock consuming a diet composed principally of grass were less likely to harbor E. coli O157 or Salmonella spp. Stocking density did not appear to influence either the levels or prevalences of bacterial pathogens. Significant seasonal differences in prevalences were detected in cattle wastes; Listeria spp. were more likely to be isolated in March to June, and E. coli O157 was more likely to be found in May and June. Factors such as livestock diet and age also had significant influence on the levels and prevalences of some zoonotic agents in livestock wastes. A number of the correlations identified could be used as the basis of a best-practice disposal document for farmers, thereby lowering the microbiological risks associated with applying manures of contaminated livestock to land.

Rectal administration of Escherichia coli O157:H7: novel model for colonization of ruminants

Escherichia coli O157:H7 causes hemorrhagic colitis and life-threatening complications. Because healthy cattle are reservoirs for the bacterium, ruminant infection models have applications in analyzing the relationship between cattle and this human pathogen and in testing interventions to reduce or prevent bovine colonization with this bacterium. Current approaches often do not reliably mimic natural, long-term bovine colonization with E. coli O157:H7 in older calves and adult animals (ages that enter our food chain). Based on the recent identification of the bovine rectoanal junction mucosa as a site of E. coli O157:H7 colonization, we developed a novel rectal swab administration colonization model. We compared this method with oral dosing and direct contact transmission (Trojan) methods. E. coli O157:H7 carriage status was determined by fecal or rectoanal mucosa swab culture. High ( approximately 10(10) CFU) and low ( approximately 10(7) CFU) oral doses of E. coli O157:H7 in sheep and cattle resulted in variable infection with the bacterium. Some animals became colonized with the bacteria and remained culture positive for several weeks, and some animals did not become colonized and rapidly cleared the bacteria in a few days. Pen mates of E. coli O157:H7 culture-positive Trojan cattle had a low infection rate and variable colonization status. However, rectal swab administration of E. coli O157:H7 to cattle resulted in consistent long-term colonization in all animals. The surprising ease with which long-term infections resulted from a single application of bacteria to the rectoanal mucosa also strongly supported this location as a site of E. coli O157:H7 colonization in cattle.

Escherichia coli O157:H7 prevalence in fecal samples of cattle from a southeastern beef cow-calf herd

The proportion of fecal samples culture-positive for Escherichia coli O157:H7 was determined for samples collected from 296 beef cows on pasture in a single Florida herd in October, November, and December 2001. The overall proportion of samples that cultured positive was 0.03. The proportion of cows that were culture-positive on at least one occasion was 0.091. No effect of pregnancy status or nutritional regimen on the proportion of culture-positive samples for E. coli O157:H7 was detected. We detected a breed effect on the shedding of E. coli O157, with Romosinuano cows having a lower (P < 0.01) proportion of samples culture-positive than Angus or Brahman cows. This difference might have resulted from the presence of confounding variables; however, it also might represent evidence of breed-to-breed genetic variation in E. coli O157 shedding. Further research is warranted to evaluate breed as a possible risk factor for shedding of this important foodborne pathogen. Further substantiated findings could indicate that breed is a cow-calf-level critical control point of E. coli O157:H7.

Survey of Campylobacter species, VTEC O157 and Salmonella species in Swedish wildlife

Samples collected from 791 wild animals (Canada geese, roe deer, hares, moose, wild boar and gulls) shot during hunting were examined for verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC) O157, and thermophilic Campylobacter and Salmonella species. With the exception of one positive isolate from a wild boar, VTEC O157 was not isolated from any of the animals. Salmonella species were isolated only from the gulls, of which 4 per cent were estimated to be positive. Thermophilic Campylobacter species were commonly isolated from all the species except deer.

Verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 in the Swedish pig population

Verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 (VTEC O157:H7) was detected in two of 2446 individual faecal samples collected from pigs slaughtered at five Swedish slaughterhouses, indicating a prevalence of 0.08 per cent, with a 95 per cent confidence interval from 0 to 0.16 per cent Four Swedish VTEC O157:H7-positive farms which kept ruminants and pigs were studied by repeated faecal sampling; VTEC O157:H7 was isolated from the ruminants and pigs on all the farms and the same strains were present in the pigs and the ruminants. On one of the farms, the organism persisted in the pig population for 11 months. On all four farms, management practices which might have influenced the isolation rate in pigs were identified. A group of young VTEC O157:H7-positive pigs was moved from one of the VTEC O157:H7-positive farms to a fattening herd where there were no ruminants. The number of VTEC O157:H7-positive faecal samples decreased gradually and after nine weeks the pigs were all negative; at slaughter none of the pigs was VTEC O157:H7-positive.

Evaluation of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis as a tool for determining the degree of genetic relatedness between strains of Escherichia coli O157:H7

Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) has been used extensively to investigate the epidemiology of Escherichia coli O157:H7, although it has not been evaluated as a tool for establishing genetic relationships. This is a critical issue when molecular genetic data are used to make inferences about pathogen dissemination. To evaluate this further, genomic DNAs from 62 isolates of E. coli O157:H7 from different cattle herds were digested with XbaI and BlnI and subjected to PFGE. The correlation between the similarity coefficients for these two enzymes was only 0.53. Four additional restriction enzymes (NheI, PacI, SfiI, and SpeI) were used with DNAs from a subset of 14 isolates. The average correlations between similarity coefficients using sets of one, two, and three enzymes were 0.405, 0.568, and 0.648, respectively. Probing with lambda DNA demonstrated that some DNA fragments migrated equal distances in the gel but were composed of nonhomologous genetic material. Genome sequence data from EDL933 indicated that 40 PFGE fragments would be expected from complete XbaI digestion, yet only 19 distinguishable fragments were visible. Two reasons that similarity coefficients from single-enzyme PFGE are poor measures of relatedness (and hence are poorly correlated with other enzymes) are evident from this study: (i) matching bands do not always represent homologous genetic material and (ii) there are limitations to the power of PFGE to resolve bands of nearly identical size. The findings of the present study indicate that if genetic relationships must be inferred in the absence of epidemiologic data, six or more restriction enzymes would be needed to provide a reasonable estimate using PFGE.