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Bosilevac JM, Katz TS, Arthur TM, Kalchayanand N, Wheeler TL. Proportions and Serogroups of Enterohemorrhagic Shiga Toxin-producing Escherichia coli in Feces of Fed and Cull Beef and Cull Dairy Cattle at Harvest. J Food Prot 2024; 87:100273. [PMID: 38599382 DOI: 10.1016/j.jfp.2024.100273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
Cattle are considered a primary reservoir of Shiga toxin (stx)-producing Escherichia coli that cause enterohemorrhagic disease (EHEC), and contaminated beef products are one vehicle of transmission to humans. However, animals entering the beef harvest process originate from differing production systems: feedlots, dairies, and beef breeding herds. The objective of this study was to determine if fed cattle, cull dairy, and or cull beef cattle carry differing proportions and serogroups of EHEC at harvest. Feces were collected via rectoanal mucosal swabs (RAMSs) from 1,039 fed cattle, 1,058 cull dairy cattle, and 1,018 cull beef cattle at harvest plants in seven U.S. states (CA, GA, NE, PA, TX, WA, and WI). The proportion of the stx gene in feces of fed cattle (99.04%) was not significantly different (P > 0.05) than in the feces of cull dairy (92.06%) and cull beef (91.85%) cattle. When two additional factors predictive of EHEC (intimin and ecf1 genes) were considered, EHEC was significantly greater (P < 0.05) in fed cattle (77.29%) than in cull dairy (47.54%) and cull beef (38.51%) cattle. The presence of E. coli O157:H7 and five common non-O157 EHEC of serogroups O26, O103, O111, O121, and O145 was determined using molecular analysis for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) followed by culture isolation. SNP analysis identified 23.48%, 17.67%, and 10.81% and culture isolation confirmed 2.98%, 3.31%, and 3.00% of fed, cull dairy, and cull beef cattle feces to contain one of these EHEC, respectively. The most common serogroups confirmed by culture isolation were O157, O103, and O26. Potential EHEC of fourteen other serogroups were isolated as well, from 4.86%, 2.46%, and 2.01% of fed, cull dairy, and cull beef cattle feces, respectively; with the most common being serogroups O177, O74, O98, and O84. The identification of particular EHEC serogroups in different types of cattle at harvest may offer opportunities to improve food safety risk management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph M Bosilevac
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, Meat Safety and Quality Research Unit, State Spur 18D, Clay Center, NE 68933, USA.
| | - Tatum S Katz
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, Meat Safety and Quality Research Unit, State Spur 18D, Clay Center, NE 68933, USA
| | - Terrance M Arthur
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, Meat Safety and Quality Research Unit, State Spur 18D, Clay Center, NE 68933, USA
| | - Norasak Kalchayanand
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, Meat Safety and Quality Research Unit, State Spur 18D, Clay Center, NE 68933, USA
| | - Tommy L Wheeler
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, Meat Safety and Quality Research Unit, State Spur 18D, Clay Center, NE 68933, USA
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Fang Y, Tran F, Stanford K, Yang X. Stress Resistance and Virulence Gene Profiles Associated with Phylogeny and Phenotypes of Escherichia coli from Cattle. J Food Prot 2023; 86:100122. [PMID: 37355007 DOI: 10.1016/j.jfp.2023.100122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/26/2023]
Abstract
Seven serogroups of E. coli (Top seven E. coli) are frequently implicated in foodborne outbreaks in North America, largely due to their carriage of Shiga toxin genes (stx). This study aimed to profile resistance genes and virulence factors (VF), and their potential association with phylogeny and phenotypes of Top seven E. coli originating from cattle in Canada. 155 Top seven E. coli isolates previously characterized for heat and acid resistance and biofilm-forming ability were whole-genome sequenced and analyzed for phylogeny, VF, and stress resistance genes. The 155 E. coli strains belonged to six phylogroups: A (n = 32), B1 (n = 93), C (n = 3), D (n = 11), E (n = 15), and G (n = 1). Different phylogroups were clearly separated on the core genome tree, with strains of the same serotype closely clustered. The carriage of stx and the transmissible locus of stress tolerance (tLST), the extreme heat resistance marker, was mutually exclusive, in 33 and 15 genomes, respectively. A novel O84:H2 strain carrying stx1a was also identified. In total, 70, 41, and 32 VF, stress resistance genes and antibiotic resistance genes were identified. The stress resistance genes included those for metal (n = 29), biocides/acid (n = 4), and heat (n = 8) resistance. All heat resistance genes and most metal-resistance genes that were differentially distributed among the phylogroups were exclusively in phylogroup A. VF were least and most present in phylogroups A and D, respectively. No specific genes associated with acid resistance or biofilm formation phenotypes were identified. VF were more abundant (P < 0.05) in the non-biofilm-forming population and acid-resistant population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Fang
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Lacombe Research and Development Centre, 6000 C & E Trail, Lacombe, AB T4L 1W1, Canada
| | - Frances Tran
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Lacombe Research and Development Centre, 6000 C & E Trail, Lacombe, AB T4L 1W1, Canada
| | - Kim Stanford
- University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB T1K 3M4, Canada
| | - Xianqin Yang
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Lacombe Research and Development Centre, 6000 C & E Trail, Lacombe, AB T4L 1W1, Canada.
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Dornbach CW, Hales KE, Gubbels ER, Wells JE, Hoffman AA, Hanratty AN, Line DJ, Smock TM, Manahan JL, McDaniel ZS, Kohl KB, Burdick Sanchez NC, Carroll JA, Rusche WC, Smith ZK, Broadway PR. Longitudinal Assessment of Prevalence and Incidence of Salmonella and Escherichia coli O157 Resistance to Antimicrobials in Feedlot Cattle Sourced and Finished in Two Different Regions of the United States. Foodborne Pathog Dis 2023; 20:334-342. [PMID: 37405734 DOI: 10.1089/fpd.2023.0009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The objective was to investigate the influence of cattle origin and region of finishing on the prevalence of Salmonella, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and select antimicrobial resistance in E. coli populations. Yearling heifers (n = 190) were utilized in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. After determining fecal Salmonella prevalence, heifers were sorted into one of four treatments: heifers originating from South Dakota (SD) and finished in SD (SD-SD); heifers originating from SD and finished in Texas (SD-TX); heifers originating from TX and finished in SD (TX-SD); and heifers originating from TX and finished in TX (TX-TX). Fecal, pen, and water scum line samples were collected longitudinally throughout the study; hide swab and subiliac lymph node (SLN) samples were collected at study end. A treatment × time interaction was observed (p ≤ 0.01) for fecal Salmonella prevalence, with prevalence being greatest for TX-TX and TX-SD heifers before transport. From day (d) 14 through study end, prevalence was greatest for TX-TX and SD-TX heifers compared with SD-SD and TX-SD heifers. Salmonella prevalence on hides were greater (p ≤ 0.01) for heifers finished in TX compared with SD. Salmonella prevalence in SLN tended (p = 0.06) to be greater in TX-TX and SD-TX heifers compared with TX-SD and SD-SD. Fecal E. coli O157:H7 prevalence had a treatment × time interaction (p = 0.04), with SD-TX prevalence being greater than TX-SD on d 56 and SD-SD and TX-TX being intermediate. A treatment × time interaction was observed for fecal trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole-resistant and cefotaxime-resistant E. coli O157:H7 prevalence (p ≤ 0.01). Overall, these data suggest that the region of finishing influences pathogenic bacterial shedding patterns, with the initial 14 d after feedlot arrival being critical for pathogen carriage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colten W Dornbach
- Department of Animal and Food Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA
| | - Kristin E Hales
- Department of Animal and Food Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA
| | - Erin R Gubbels
- Department of Animal Science, South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota, USA
| | - James E Wells
- U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Clay Center, Nebraska, USA
| | - Ashley A Hoffman
- Department of Animal and Food Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA
| | - Ashlee N Hanratty
- Department of Animal and Food Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA
| | - Dalton J Line
- Department of Animal and Food Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA
| | - Taylor M Smock
- Department of Animal and Food Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA
| | - Jeff L Manahan
- Department of Animal and Food Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA
| | - Zach S McDaniel
- Department of Animal and Food Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA
| | - Kesley B Kohl
- Department of Animal and Food Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA
| | - Nicole C Burdick Sanchez
- Livestock Issues Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Lubbock, Texas, USA
| | - Jeffery A Carroll
- Livestock Issues Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Lubbock, Texas, USA
| | - Warren C Rusche
- Department of Animal Science, South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota, USA
| | - Zachary K Smith
- Department of Animal Science, South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota, USA
| | - Paul R Broadway
- Livestock Issues Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Lubbock, Texas, USA
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Auvray F, Bièche-Terrier C, Um MM, Dupouy V, Nzuzi N, David L, Allais L, Drouet M, Oswald E, Bibbal D, Brugère H. Prevalence and characterization of the seven major serotypes of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in veal calves slaughtered in France. Vet Microbiol 2023; 282:109754. [PMID: 37116423 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2023.109754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2022] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) belonging to the "top 7″ serotypes (i.e. O157:H7, O26:H11, O45:H2, O103:H2, O111:H8, O121:H19 and O145:H28) are considered as the main pathogenic enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC). As ruminants, including calves, are a reservoir of pathogenic STEC, we investigated the prevalence, major virulence genes and genetic relatedness of top7 STEC in veal calves slaughtered in France, through the analysis of 500 fecal samples collected over one year. Thirty top7 STEC isolates were recovered from 28 calves. The two serotypes O103:H2 and O26:H11 accounted for 73% of STEC strains, followed by O145:H28 and O157:H7. STEC super-shedding levels were identified for two calves carrying STEC O103:H2 and O157:H7, respectively. Thirty-nine atypical enteropathogenic E. coli (aEPEC) were also recovered from calves. Overall, a prevalence of 5.6% top7 STEC-positive calves was found, thus higher than that previously determined for the French slaughtered adult cattle (1.8%), confirming the impact of animals age on STEC carriage. Most top7 STEC strains carried the stx1a subtype suggesting a low pathogenicity for humans. Seasonal variation in STEC carriage was also observed, with two peaks of higher prevalence during spring and fall. Genetic similarity of top7 STEC isolates was found for calves originating from the same fattening facilities, reflecting STEC circulation between animals kept in groups. This study indicates that veal calves grown for meat production are at higher risk of shedding top7 STEC compared to adult cattle. They thus represent ideal targets for the implementation of farm interventions aimed at reducing STEC burden in cattle and the food chain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Auvray
- IRSD, Université de Toulouse, INSERM, INRAE, ENVT, UPS, Toulouse, France.
| | | | - Maryse Michèle Um
- IRSD, Université de Toulouse, INSERM, INRAE, ENVT, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | | | - Nathalie Nzuzi
- IRSD, Université de Toulouse, INSERM, INRAE, ENVT, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Laure David
- IRSD, Université de Toulouse, INSERM, INRAE, ENVT, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Laurent Allais
- Institut de l'Elevage, Laboratoire Analyse et Technologie des Produits, Villers Bocage, France
| | - Marie Drouet
- Institut de l'Elevage, Service Qualité des Viandes, Villers Bocage, France
| | - Eric Oswald
- IRSD, Université de Toulouse, INSERM, INRAE, ENVT, UPS, Toulouse, France; CHU de Toulouse, Hôpital Purpan, Toulouse, France
| | - Delphine Bibbal
- IRSD, Université de Toulouse, INSERM, INRAE, ENVT, UPS, Toulouse, France; InTheRes, Université de Toulouse, INRAE, ENVT, Toulouse, France
| | - Hubert Brugère
- IRSD, Université de Toulouse, INSERM, INRAE, ENVT, UPS, Toulouse, France
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Ray R, Singh P. Prevalence and Implications of Shiga Toxin-Producing E. coli in Farm and Wild Ruminants. Pathogens 2022; 11:1332. [PMID: 36422584 PMCID: PMC9694250 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11111332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is a food-borne pathogen that causes human gastrointestinal infections across the globe, leading to kidney failure or even death in severe cases. E. coli are commensal members of humans and animals' (cattle, bison, and pigs) guts, however, may acquire Shiga-toxin-encoded phages. This acquisition or colonization by STEC may lead to dysbiosis in the intestinal microbial community of the host. Wildlife and livestock animals can be asymptomatically colonized by STEC, leading to pathogen shedding and transmission. Furthermore, there has been a steady uptick in new STEC variants representing various serotypes. These, along with hybrids of other pathogenic E. coli (UPEC and ExPEC), are of serious concern, especially when they possess enhanced antimicrobial resistance, biofilm formation, etc. Recent studies have reported these in the livestock and food industry with minimal focus on wildlife. Disturbed natural habitats and changing climates are increasingly creating wildlife reservoirs of these pathogens, leading to a rise in zoonotic infections. Therefore, this review comprehensively surveyed studies on STEC prevalence in livestock and wildlife hosts. We further present important microbial and environmental factors contributing to STEC spread as well as infections. Finally, we delve into potential strategies for limiting STEC shedding and transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Pallavi Singh
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, IL 60115, USA
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6
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Development and validation of high-resolution melting assays for the detection of potentially virulent strains of Escherichia coli O103 and O121. Food Control 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2022.109095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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7
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A systematic review and meta-analysis of published literature on prevalence of non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli serogroups (O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145) and virulence genes in feces, hides, and carcasses of pre- and peri-harvest cattle worldwide. Anim Health Res Rev 2022; 23:1-24. [PMID: 35678500 DOI: 10.1017/s1466252321000153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to summarize peer-reviewed literature on the prevalence and concentration of non-O157 STEC (O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145) serogroups and virulence genes (stx and eae) in fecal, hide, and carcass samples in pre- and peri-harvest cattle worldwide, using a systematic review of the literature and meta-analyses. DATA SYNTHESIS Seventy articles were eligible for meta-analysis inclusion; data from 65 articles were subjected to random-effects meta-analysis models to yield fecal prevalence estimates. Meta-regression models were built to explore variables contributing to the between-study heterogeneity. RESULTS Worldwide pooled non-O157 serogroup, STEC, and EHEC fecal prevalence estimates (95% confidence interval) were 4.7% (3.4-6.3%), 0.7% (0.5-0.8%), and 1.0% (0.8-1.1%), respectively. Fecal prevalence estimates significantly differed by geographic region (P < 0.01) for each outcome classification. Meta-regression analyses identified region, cattle type, and specimen type as factors that contribute to heterogeneity for worldwide fecal prevalence estimates. CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of these global foodborne pathogens in the cattle reservoir is widespread and highly variable by region. The scarcity of prevalence and concentration data for hide and carcass matrices identifies a large data gap in the literature as these are the closest proxies for potential beef contamination at harvest.
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Risk factors of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in livestock raised on diversified small-scale farms in California. Epidemiol Infect 2022; 150:e125. [PMID: 35641482 PMCID: PMC9274804 DOI: 10.1017/s0950268822001005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The increasing number of diversified small-scale farms (DSSF) that raise outdoor-based livestock in the USA reflects growing consumer demand for sustainably produced food. Diversified farms are small scale and raise a combination of multiple livestock species and numerous produce varieties. This 2015–2016 cross-sectional study aimed to describe the unique characteristics of DSSF in California, estimate the prevalence of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in livestock and evaluate the association between risk factors and the presence of STEC in livestock, using generalised linear mixed models. STEC prevalence was 13.62% (76/558). Significant variables in the mixed-effect logistic regression model included daily maximum temperature (OR 0.95; CI95% 0.91–0.98), livestock sample source (cattle (OR 4.61; CI95% 1.64–12.96) and sheep (OR 5.29; CI95% 1.80–15.51)), multiple species sharing the same barn (OR 6.23; CI95% 1.84–21.15) and livestock having contact with wild areas (OR 3.63; CI95% 1.37–9.62). Identification of STEC serogroups of public health concern (e.g. O157:H7, O26, O103) in this study indicated the need for mitigation strategies to ensure food safety by evaluating risk factors and management practices that contribute to the spread and prevalence of foodborne pathogens in a pre-harvest environment on DSSF.
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9
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Escherichia coli serogroups in slaughterhouses: Antibiotic susceptibility and molecular typing of isolates. Int J Food Microbiol 2022; 371:109673. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2022.109673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Withenshaw SM, Smith RP, Davies R, Smith AEO, Gray E, Rodgers J. A systematized review and qualitative synthesis of potential risk factors associated with the occurrence of non‐O157 Shiga toxin‐producing
Escherichia coli
(STEC) in the primary production of cattle. Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf 2022; 21:2363-2390. [DOI: 10.1111/1541-4337.12929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Susan M. Withenshaw
- Department of Epidemiological Sciences Animal and Plant Health Agency – Weybridge New Haw UK
| | - Richard P. Smith
- Department of Epidemiological Sciences Animal and Plant Health Agency – Weybridge New Haw UK
| | - Rob Davies
- Department of Bacteriology Animal and Plant Health Agency – Weybridge New Haw UK
| | - Alice E. O. Smith
- Department of Epidemiological Sciences Animal and Plant Health Agency – Weybridge New Haw UK
| | - Elizabeth Gray
- Department of Epidemiological Sciences Animal and Plant Health Agency – Weybridge New Haw UK
| | - John Rodgers
- Department of Bacteriology Animal and Plant Health Agency – Weybridge New Haw UK
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S. Hoefler R, Kudva IT. EDL933 Strains of Escherichia coli O157 can Demonstrate Genetic Diversity and Differential Adherence to Bovine Recto-Anal Junction Squamous Epithelial Cells. Open Microbiol J 2021. [DOI: 10.2174/1874285802115010129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background:
Differences between Escherichia coli O157 (O157) strains are well-established with some of these strains being associated with major outbreaks in the US. EDL933 is one such O157 strain that caused a multistate outbreak in 1982 and has since been used as a prototype in various O157-related experiments.
Objective:
As O157 can readily acquire genetic mutations, we sought to determine if the genetic and phenotypic profiles of EDL933 strains from different sources would be consistent.
Methods:
We evaluated wild-type O157 strains stocked as EDL933 from three different laboratories, in the strain typing Polymorphic Amplified Typing Sequence (PATS) and the bovine rectal-anal junction squamous epithelial (RSE) cell- and HEp-2 cell- adherence assays. In addition, we also verified if Shiga toxins (Stx), the Locus of Enterocyte Effacement (LEE) or curli fimbriae contributed to the adherence phenotypes observed using mutant and wild-type EDL933 isolates.
Results:
Our results showed differences in PATS profiles and RSE cell-adherence phenotype, with no influence from the Stx or LEE genes, between EDL933 from different sources. Interestingly, the EDL933 strain that demonstrated the most contrasting diffuse adherence phenotype on RSE cells, EDL933-T, had decreased curli production that may have contributed to this phenotype.
Conclusion:
Our observations suggest that a comprehensive characterization of bacterial isolates, even if assigned to the same strain type prior to use in experiments, is warranted to ensure consistency and reproducibility of results.
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Cleary E, Boudou M, Garvey P, Aiseadha CO, McKeown P, O'Dwyer J, Hynds P. Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Sporadic Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Enteritis, Ireland, 2013-2017. Emerg Infect Dis 2021; 27:2421-2433. [PMID: 34424163 PMCID: PMC8386769 DOI: 10.3201/eid2709.204021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The Republic of Ireland regularly reports the highest annual crude incidence rates of Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli (STEC) enteritis in the European Union, ≈10 times the average. We investigated spatiotemporal patterns of STEC enteritis in Ireland using multiple statistical tools. Overall, we georeferenced 2,755 cases of infection during January 2013–December 2017; we found >1 case notified in 2,340 (12.6%) of 18,641 Census Small Areas. We encountered the highest case numbers in children 0–5 years of age (n = 1,101, 39.6%) and associated with serogroups O26 (n = 800, 29%) and O157 (n = 638, 23.2%). Overall, we identified 17 space-time clusters, ranging from 2 (2014) to 5 (2017) clusters of sporadic infection per year; we detected recurrent clustering in 3 distinct geographic regions in the west and mid-west, all of which are primarily rural. Our findings can be used to enable targeted epidemiologic intervention and surveillance.
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13
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Hu Y, Cui G, Fan Y, Liu Y, Zhou W, Huo S, Wu X, Song S, Cui X, Zhao L, Bai L, Cui S, He Z. Isolation and Characterization of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli from Retail Beef Samples from Eight Provinces in China. Foodborne Pathog Dis 2021; 18:616-625. [PMID: 34403269 DOI: 10.1089/fpd.2021.0005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
While Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is a major foodborne pathogen worldwide, data on the molecular and phylogenetic properties of STEC isolates from retail beef samples in China remain scant. Fresh retail beef samples (n = 1062) were collected from eight provinces, and STEC isolates were recovered and characterized. PCR data showed that more than 50% of the samples were stx positive, and 82 STEC isolates were recovered from 14.8% (79/535) stx-positive enriched broths. In contrast, all ciprofloxacin resistant isolates (n = 19) and 13 cefotaxime (CTX) resistant isolates were eae positive and belonged to three serotypes: O111:H8, O26:H11, or O157:H7. Point mutations in quinolone resistance-determining regions and plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance determinants were identified in 16 and 20 isolates, respectively. BlaCTX-M and a point mutation (C-42T) in ampC promoter were detected in 15 and 8 of the CTX resistant isolates, respectively. In addition, macrolide resistance gene mphA was identified in eight azithromycin resistant O111:H8 isolates and one O26:H11 isolate. Single nucleotide polymorphism analysis demonstrated that the O26 and O157 isolates had multiple origins, but the O111 isolates were closely related. Taken together, our data demonstrated that several sequence types associated with hemolytic uremic syndrome from the retail beef samples in China had developed into dangerous multidrug resistant pathogens. The resistant phenotype can facilitate their transmission among the farm animals and human beings when there is an antimicrobial selective pressure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Hu
- Department of Food Science, College of Food Science, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Guangqing Cui
- Department of Microbiology, Shanxi Provincial Institute for Food and Drug Control, Taiyuan, China
| | - Yiling Fan
- Department of Microbiology, NMPA Key Laboratory for Testing Technology of Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Shanghai Institute for Food and Drug Control, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan Liu
- Department of Microbiology, Hubei Provincial Institute for Food Supervision and Test, Wuhan, China
| | - Wei Zhou
- Department of Microbiology, Hebei Food Inspection and Research Institute, Hebei Food Safety Key Laboratory, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Shengnan Huo
- Department of Microbiology, Shandong Institute for Food and Drug Control, Jinan, China
| | - Xin Wu
- Department of Microbiology, Jiang Xi Institute for Food Control, Nanchang, China
| | - Sheng Song
- Department of Microbiology, Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Food Safety Monitoring and Early Warning, Hunan Institute of Food Quality Supervision Inspection and Research, Changsha, China
| | - Xuewen Cui
- Department of Microbiology, Microbiological Inspection Center, Sichuan Institute for Food and Drug Control, Chengdu, China
| | - Linna Zhao
- Department of Food Science, The National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Beijing, China
| | - Li Bai
- Department of Microbiology, Key Laboratory of Food Safety Risk Assessment, National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China, China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, Beijing, China
| | - Shenghui Cui
- Department of Food Science, The National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Beijing, China
| | - Zhifei He
- Department of Food Science, College of Food Science, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.,Department of Microbiology, Chongqing Engineering Research Center of Regional Food, Chongqing, China
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Tack DM, Kisselburgh HM, Richardson LC, Geissler A, Griffin PM, Payne DC, Gleason BL. Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Outbreaks in the United States, 2010-2017. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9071529. [PMID: 34361964 PMCID: PMC8307841 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9071529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2021] [Revised: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) cause illnesses ranging from mild diarrhea to ischemic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS); serogroup O157 is the most common cause. We describe the epidemiology and transmission routes for U.S. STEC outbreaks during 2010–2017. Health departments reported 466 STEC outbreaks affecting 4769 persons; 459 outbreaks had a serogroup identified (330 O157, 124 non-O157, 5 both). Among these, 361 (77%) had a known transmission route: 200 foodborne (44% of O157 outbreaks, 41% of non-O157 outbreaks), 87 person-to-person (16%, 24%), 49 animal contact (11%, 9%), 20 water (4%, 5%), and 5 environmental contamination (2%, 0%). The most common food category implicated was vegetable row crops. The distribution of O157 and non-O157 outbreaks varied by age, sex, and severity. A significantly higher percentage of STEC O157 than non-O157 outbreaks were transmitted by beef (p = 0.02). STEC O157 outbreaks also had significantly higher rates of hospitalization and HUS (p < 0.001).
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15
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Prevalence and Epidemiology of Non-O157 Escherichia coli Serogroups O26, O103, O111, and O145 and Shiga Toxin Gene Carriage in Scottish Cattle, 2014-2015. Appl Environ Microbiol 2021; 87:AEM.03142-20. [PMID: 33712425 PMCID: PMC8117755 DOI: 10.1128/aem.03142-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Cattle are reservoirs for Shiga toxin Escherichia coli (STEC), bacteria shed in animal feces. Humans are infected through consumption of contaminated food or water and by direct contact, causing serious disease and kidney failure in the most vulnerable. Cattle are a reservoir for Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), zoonotic pathogens that cause serious clinical disease. Scotland has a higher incidence of STEC infection in the human population than the European average. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and epidemiology of non-O157 serogroups O26, O103, O111, and O145 and Shiga toxin gene carriage in Scottish cattle. Fecal samples (n = 2783) were collected from 110 herds in 2014 and 2015 and screened by real-time PCR. Herd-level prevalence (95% confidence interval [CI]) for O103, O26, and O145 was estimated as 0.71 (0.62, 0.79), 0.43 (0.34, 0.52), and 0.23 (0.16, 0.32), respectively. Only two herds were positive for O111. Shiga toxin prevalence was high in both herds and pats, particularly for stx2 (herd level: 0.99; 95% CI: 0.94, 1.0). O26 bacterial strains were isolated from 36 herds on culture. Fifteen herds yielded O26 stx-positive isolates that additionally harbored the intimin gene; six of these herds shed highly pathogenic stx2-positive strains. Multiple serogroups were detected in herds and pats, with only 25 herds negative for all serogroups. Despite overlap in detection, regional and seasonal effects were observed. Higher herd prevalence for O26, O103, and stx1 occurred in the South West, and this region was significant for stx2 at the pat level (P = 0.015). Significant seasonal variation was observed for O145 prevalence, with the highest prevalence in autumn (P = 0.032). Negative herds were associated with Central Scotland and winter. Herds positive for all serogroups were associated with autumn and larger herd size and were not housed at sampling. IMPORTANCE Cattle are reservoirs for Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), bacteria shed in animal feces. Humans are infected through consumption of contaminated food or water and by direct contact, resulting in serious disease and kidney failure in the most vulnerable. The contribution of non-O157 serogroups to STEC illness was underestimated for many years due to the lack of specific tests. Recently, non-O157 human cases have increased, with O26 STEC of particular note. It is therefore vital to investigate the level and composition of non-O157 in the cattle reservoir and to compare them historically and by the clinical situation. In this study, we found cattle prevalence high for toxin, as well as for O103 and O26 serogroups. Pathogenic O26 STEC were isolated from 14% of study herds, with toxin subtypes similar to those seen in Scottish clinical cases. This study highlights the current risk to public health from non-O157 STEC in Scottish cattle.
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16
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Huang X, Yang X, Shi X, Erickson DL, Nagaraja TG, Meng J. Whole-genome sequencing analysis of uncommon Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli from cattle: Virulence gene profiles, antimicrobial resistance predictions, and identification of novel O-serogroups. Food Microbiol 2021; 99:103821. [PMID: 34119106 DOI: 10.1016/j.fm.2021.103821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Revised: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) are major foodborne pathogens. While many studies have focused on the "top-7 STEC", little is known for minor serogroups. A total of 284 non-top-7 STEC strains isolated from cattle feces were subjected to whole-genome sequencing (WGS) to determine the serotypes, the presence of virulence genes and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) determinants. Nineteen typeable and three non-typeable serotypes with novel O-antigen loci were identified. Twenty-one AMR genes and point mutations in another six genes that conferred resistance to 10 antimicrobial classes were detected, as well as 46 virulence genes. The distribution of 33 virulence genes and 15 AMR determinants exhibited significant differences among serotypes (p < 0.05). Among all strains, 81.7% (n = 232) and 14.1% (n = 40) carried stx2 and stx1 only, respectively; only 4.2% (n = 12) carried both. Subtypes stx1a, stx1c, stx2a, stx2c, stx2d, and stx2g were identified. Forty-six strains carried eae and stx2a and therefore had the potential cause severe diseases; 47 strains were genetically related to human clinical strains inferred from a pan-genome phylogenetic tree. We were able to demonstrate the utility of WGS as a surveillance tool to characterize the novel serotypes, as well as AMR and virulence profiles of uncommon STEC that could potentially cause human illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyang Huang
- Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Center for Food Safety and Security Systems, College Park, MD, 20740, USA
| | - Xun Yang
- Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Xiaorong Shi
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - David L Erickson
- Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Center for Food Safety and Security Systems, College Park, MD, 20740, USA
| | - T G Nagaraja
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA
| | - Jianghong Meng
- Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Center for Food Safety and Security Systems, College Park, MD, 20740, USA; Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA.
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17
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Identification, Shiga toxin subtypes and prevalence of minor serogroups of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in feedlot cattle feces. Sci Rep 2021; 11:8601. [PMID: 33883564 PMCID: PMC8060326 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-87544-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are foodborne pathogens that cause illnesses in humans ranging from mild to hemorrhagic enteritis with complications of hemolytic uremic syndrome and even death. Cattle are a major reservoir of STEC, which reside in the hindgut and are shed in the feces, a major source of food and water contaminations. Seven serogroups, O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, O145 and O157, called ‘top-7’, are responsible for the majority of human STEC infections in North America. Additionally, 151 serogroups of E. coli are known to carry Shiga toxin genes (stx). Not much is known about fecal shedding and prevalence and virulence potential of STEC other than the top-7. Our primary objectives were to identify serogroups of STEC strains, other than the top-7, isolated from cattle feces and subtype stx genes to assess their virulence potential. Additional objective was to develop and validate a novel multiplex PCR assay to detect and determine prevalence of six serogroups, O2, O74, O109, O131, O168, and O171, in cattle feces. A total of 351 strains, positive for stx gene and negative for the top-7 serogroups, isolated from feedlot cattle feces were used in the study. Of the 351 strains, 291 belonged to 16 serogroups and 60 could not be serogrouped. Among the 351 strains, 63 (17.9%) carried stx1 gene and 300 (82.1%) carried stx2, including 12 strains positive for both. The majority of the stx1 and stx2 were of stx1a (47/63; 74.6%) and stx2a subtypes (234/300; 78%), respectively, which are often associated with human infections. A novel multiplex PCR assay developed and validated to detect six serogroups, O2, O74, O109, O131, O168, and O171, which accounted for 86.9% of the STEC strains identified, was utilized to determine their prevalence in fecal samples (n = 576) collected from a commercial feedlot. Four serogroups, O2, O109, O168, and O171 were identified as the dominant serogroups prevalent in cattle feces. In conclusion, cattle shed in the feces a number of STEC serogroups, other than the top-7, and the majority of the strains isolated possessed stx2, particularly of the subtype 2a, suggesting their potential risk to cause human infections.
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18
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Evaluation of Cattle for Naturally Colonized Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Requires Combinatorial Strategies. Int J Microbiol 2021; 2021:6673202. [PMID: 33868404 PMCID: PMC8032530 DOI: 10.1155/2021/6673202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2020] [Revised: 02/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) serogroups O157, O26, O103, O111, O121, O145, and O45 are designated as food adulterants by the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Food Safety and Inspection Service. Cattle are the primary reservoir of these human pathogens. In this study, 59 Angus crossbred heifers were tested specifically for these seven STEC serogroups using a combination of standard culture, serological, PCR, and cell cytotoxicity methods to determine if comparable results would be obtained. At the time of fecal sampling, the animals were approximately 2 years old and weighed 1000–1200 lbs. The diet comprised of 37% ground alfalfa hay, 25% ground Sudan hay, and 38% ground corn supplemented with trace minerals and rumensin with ad libitum access to water. Non-O157 STEC were isolated from 25% (15/59) of the animals tested using a combination of EC broth, CHROMagar STECTM, and Rainbow Agar O157. Interestingly, the O157 serogroup was not isolated from any of the animals. Non-O157 STEC isolates were confirmed to be one of the six adulterant serogroups by serology and/or colony PCR in 10/15 animals with the predominant viable, serogroup being O103. PCR using DNA extracted from feces verified most of the colony PCR results but also identified additional virulence and O-antigen genes from samples with no correlating culture results. Shiga toxin- (Stx-) related cytopathic effects on Vero cells with fecal extracts from 55/59 animals could only be associated with the Stx gene profiles obtained by fecal DNA PCR and not culture results. The differences between culture versus fecal DNA PCR and cytotoxicity assay results suggest that the latter two assays reflect the presence of nonviable STEC or infection with STEC not belonging to the seven adulterant serogroups. This study further supports the use of combinatorial culture, serology, and PCR methods to isolate viable STEC that pose a greater food safety threat.
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19
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Okuno K, Awasthi SP, Kopprio GA, Iguchi A, Hatanaka N, Hinenoya A, Lara RJ, Yamasaki S. Prevalence, O-genotype and Shiga toxin (Stx) 2 subtype of Stx-producing Escherichia coli strains isolated from Argentinean beef cattle. J Vet Med Sci 2021; 83:630-636. [PMID: 33612661 PMCID: PMC8111337 DOI: 10.1292/jvms.21-0002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The aims of this study were to investigate prevalence, O-genotype, and virulence gene profile including Shiga toxin (Stx) 2 gene-subtype of Stx-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in beef cattle from the Bahía Blanca in Argentina. Rectal swabs were collected from 283 beef cattle in 2012. stx genes were detected in 90 (32%) out of the 283 rectal swabs by stx gene-specific PCR assay. The positive cases were 13 with stx1, 58 with stx2, and 19 with both stx1 and stx2. Among 90 stx gene-positive samples, 45 STEC strains were isolated, which included 3 stx1, 34 stx2, and eight stx1 and stx2 genes positive isolates. O-genotyping grouped 45 STEC strains into 19 different O-genotypes such as Og8, Og145, Og171, Og185 (4 from each), Og22, Og153, Og157 (3 from each) and others. Various stx2 gene-subtypes were identified in 42 STEC strains: 13 positive cases for stx2a, 11 for stx2c, 3 for stx2g, 10 for stx2a and stx2d, 4 for stx2a and stx2c, and 1 for stx2b, stx2c and stx2g. efaI gene, generally prevalent in clinical strains, was detected in relatively high in the STEC strains. These data suggest that stx2a and stx2c were distributed not only in O145 and O157 but also in minor O-genotypes of STEC in Argentina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kentaro Okuno
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University, 1-58, Rinkuourai-kita, Izumisano, Osaka 598-8531, Japan
| | - Sharda Prasad Awasthi
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University, 1-58, Rinkuourai-kita, Izumisano, Osaka 598-8531, Japan.,Asian Health Science Research Institute, Osaka Prefecture University, 1-58, Rinkuourai-kita, Izumisano, Osaka 598-8531, Japan
| | - Germán A Kopprio
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 301, 12587, Berlin, Germany
| | - Atsushi Iguchi
- Department of Animal and Grassland Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Miyazaki, 1-1, Gakuen Kibanadai-nishi, Miyazaki 889-2192, Japan
| | - Noritoshi Hatanaka
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University, 1-58, Rinkuourai-kita, Izumisano, Osaka 598-8531, Japan.,Asian Health Science Research Institute, Osaka Prefecture University, 1-58, Rinkuourai-kita, Izumisano, Osaka 598-8531, Japan
| | - Atsushi Hinenoya
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University, 1-58, Rinkuourai-kita, Izumisano, Osaka 598-8531, Japan.,Asian Health Science Research Institute, Osaka Prefecture University, 1-58, Rinkuourai-kita, Izumisano, Osaka 598-8531, Japan
| | - Rubén José Lara
- National Council for Scientific and Technical Research, The Argentine Institute of Oceanography, Florida 4750, Complejo CONICET-Bahia Blanca Edificio E1, B8000FWB, Bahia Blanca, Argentina
| | - Shinji Yamasaki
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University, 1-58, Rinkuourai-kita, Izumisano, Osaka 598-8531, Japan.,Asian Health Science Research Institute, Osaka Prefecture University, 1-58, Rinkuourai-kita, Izumisano, Osaka 598-8531, Japan
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20
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Jung Y, Porto-Fett ACS, Parveen S, Meredith J, Shoyer BA, Henry E, Trauger Z, Shane LE, Osoria M, Schwarz J, Rupert C, Chapman B, Moxley RA, Luchansky JB. Recovery Rate of Cells of the Seven Regulated Serogroups of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli from Raw Veal Cutlets, Ground Veal, and Ground Beef from Retail Stores in the Mid-Atlantic Region of the United States. J Food Prot 2021; 84:220-232. [PMID: 32977344 DOI: 10.4315/jfp-20-290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 09/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT A total of 482 veal cutlet, 555 ground veal, and 540 ground beef samples were purchased from retail establishments in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States over a noncontiguous 2-year period between 2014 and 2017. Samples (325 g each) were individually enriched and screened via real-time PCR for all seven regulated serogroups of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC). Presumptive STEC-positive samples were subjected to serogroup-specific immunomagnetic separation and plated onto selective media. Up to five isolates typical for STEC from each sample were analyzed via multiplex PCR for both the virulence genes (i.e., eae, stx1 and/or stx2, and ehxA) and serogroup-specific gene(s) for the seven regulated STEC serogroups. The recovery rates of non-O157 STEC from veal cutlets (3.94%, 19 of 482 samples) and ground veal (7.03%, 39 of 555 samples) were significantly higher (P < 0.05) than that from ground beef (0.93%, 5 of 540 samples). In contrast, only a single isolate of STEC O157:H7 was recovered; this isolate originated from 1 (0.18%) of 555 samples of ground veal. Recovery rates for STEC were not associated with state, season, packaging type, or store type (P > 0.05) but were associated with brand and fat content (P < 0.05). Pulsed-field subtyping of the 270 viable and confirmed STEC isolates from the 64 total samples testing positive revealed 78 pulsotypes (50 to 80% similarity) belonging to 39 pulsogroups, with ≥90% similarity among pulsotypes within pulsogroups. Multiple isolates from 43 (67.7%) of 64 samples testing positive had an indistinguishable pulsotype. STEC serotypes O26 and O103 were the most prevalent serogroups in beef and veal, respectively. These findings support related findings from regulatory sampling studies over the past decade and confirm that recovery rates for the regulated STEC serogroups are higher for raw veal than for raw beef samples, as was observed in the present study of meat purchased at food retailers in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. HIGHLIGHTS
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangjin Jung
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania 19038
| | - Anna C S Porto-Fett
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania 19038.,(ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2689-6402 [A.C.S.P.F.])
| | - Salina Parveen
- University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, Maryland 21853
| | - Joan Meredith
- University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, Maryland 21853
| | - Bradley A Shoyer
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania 19038
| | - Elizabeth Henry
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania 19038
| | - Zachary Trauger
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania 19038
| | - Laura E Shane
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania 19038
| | - Manuela Osoria
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania 19038
| | - Jurgen Schwarz
- University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, Maryland 21853
| | | | | | - Rodney A Moxley
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska 68583, USA
| | - John B Luchansky
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania 19038
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21
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Brusa V, Costa M, Padola NL, Etcheverría A, Sampedro F, Fernandez PS, Leotta GA, Signorini ML. Quantitative risk assessment of haemolytic uremic syndrome associated with beef consumption in Argentina. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0242317. [PMID: 33186398 PMCID: PMC7665811 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0242317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
We developed a quantitative microbiological risk assessment (QMRA) of haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) associated with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC)-contaminated beef (intact beef cuts, ground beef and commercial hamburgers) in children under 15 years of age from Argentina. The QMRA was used to characterize STEC prevalence and concentration levels in each product through the Argentinean beef supply chain, including cattle primary production, cattle transport, processing and storage in the abattoir, retail and home preparation, and consumption. Median HUS probability from beef cut, ground beef and commercial hamburger consumption was <10-15, 5.4x10-8 and 3.5x10-8, respectively. The expected average annual number of HUS cases was 0, 28 and 4, respectively. Risk of infection and HUS probability were sensitive to the type of abattoir, the application or not of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) for STEC (HACCP-STEC), stx prevalence in carcasses and trimmings, storage conditions from the abattoir to retailers and home, the joint consumption of salads and beef products, and cooking preference. The QMRA results showed that the probability of HUS was higher if beef cuts (1.7x) and ground beef (1.2x) were from carcasses provided by abattoirs not applying HACCP-STEC. Thus, the use of a single sanitary standard that included the application of HACCP-STEC in all Argentinean abattoirs would greatly reduce HUS incidence. The average number of annual HUS cases estimated by the QMRA (n = 32) would explain about 10.0% of cases in children under 15 years per year in Argentina. Since other routes of contamination can be involved, including those not related to food, further research on the beef production chain, other food chains, person-to-person transmission and outbreak studies should be conducted to reduce the impact of HUS on the child population of Argentina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Brusa
- IGEVET–Instituto de Genética Veterinaria “Ing. Fernando N. Dulout” (UNLP-CONICET LA PLATA), Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias UNLP, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Magdalena Costa
- IGEVET–Instituto de Genética Veterinaria “Ing. Fernando N. Dulout” (UNLP-CONICET LA PLATA), Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias UNLP, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Nora L. Padola
- CIVETAN–Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil (CONICET-UNCPBA-CICPBA), Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias—UNCPBA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Analía Etcheverría
- CIVETAN–Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil (CONICET-UNCPBA-CICPBA), Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias—UNCPBA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Fernando Sampedro
- Environmental Health Sciences Division, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, United States of America
| | - Pablo S. Fernandez
- Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Agronómica, Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, España
| | - Gerardo A. Leotta
- IGEVET–Instituto de Genética Veterinaria “Ing. Fernando N. Dulout” (UNLP-CONICET LA PLATA), Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias UNLP, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Marcelo L. Signorini
- IdICaL–Instituto de Investigación de la Cadena Láctea–(INTA–CONICET), Santa Fe, Argentina
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22
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Dewsbury DMA, Cernicchiaro N, Depenbusch B, Nagaraja TG, Renter DG. Effectiveness of a Direct-Fed Microbial Product Containing Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus casei in Reducing Fecal Shedding of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Commercial Feedlot Cattle. Foodborne Pathog Dis 2020; 18:16-23. [PMID: 32898446 DOI: 10.1089/fpd.2020.2828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a direct-fed microbial (DFM) product in reducing fecal shedding of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in finishing commercial feedlot cattle in Kansas (KS) and Nebraska (NE). Utilizing a randomized complete block design within the feedlot (KS, n = 1; NE, n = 1), cattle were randomly allocated to 20 pens, grouped in blocks of two based on allocation date, and then, within the block, randomly assigned to a treatment group (DFM or negative control). The DFM product was included in the diet at a targeted daily dose of 1 × 109 colony-forming units (CFU) of the Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus casei combination per animal for at least 60 d before sampling. Feedlots were sampled for four consecutive weeks; weekly sampling consisted of collecting 20 pen floor fecal samples per pen. Fecal samples were subjected to culture-based methods for detection and isolation of E. coli O157, and positive samples were quantified using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Primary outcomes of interest were fecal prevalence of E. coli O157:H7 and E. coli O157 supershedding (≥104 CFU/g of feces) prevalence. Data for each feedlot were analyzed at the pen level using mixed models accounting for the study design features. Model-adjusted mean E. coli O157:H7 fecal prevalence estimates (standard error of the mean [SEM]) for DFM and control groups were 8.2% (SEM = 2.2%) and 9.9% (SEM = 2.5%) in KS and 14.6% (SEM = 2.8%) versus 14.3% (SEM = 2.6%) in NE; prevalence did not differ significantly between treatment groups at either site (KS, p = 0.51; NE, p = 0.92). Mean E. coli O157 supershedding prevalence estimates for DFM and control groups were 2.2% (SEM = 0.7%) versus 1.8% (SEM = 0.7%) in KS (p = 0.66) and 6.7% (SEM = 1.5%) versus 3.2% (SEM = 1.0%) in NE (p = 0.04). In conclusion, administering the DFM product in the finishing diet of feedlot cattle did not significantly reduce E. coli O157:H7 fecal prevalence or supershedding prevalence in study pens at either commercial feedlot.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana M A Dewsbury
- Center for Outcomes Research and Epidemiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA.,Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
| | - Natalia Cernicchiaro
- Center for Outcomes Research and Epidemiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA.,Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
| | | | - T G Nagaraja
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
| | - David G Renter
- Center for Outcomes Research and Epidemiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA.,Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
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23
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Remfry SE, Amachawadi RG, Shi X, Bai J, Woodworth JC, Tokach MD, Dritz SS, Goodband RD, DeRouchey JM, Nagaraja TG. Polymerase Chain Reaction-Based Prevalence of Serogroups of Escherichia coli Known to Carry Shiga Toxin Genes in Feces of Finisher Pigs. Foodborne Pathog Dis 2020; 17:782-791. [PMID: 32833570 DOI: 10.1089/fpd.2020.2814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are major foodborne pathogens and seven serogroups, O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, O145, and O157, that account for the majority of the STEC-associated illness in humans. Similar to cattle, swine also harbor STEC and shed them in the feces and can be a source of human STEC infections. Information on the prevalence of STEC in swine feces is limited. Therefore, our objective was to utilize polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays to determine prevalence of major virulence genes and serogroups of STEC. Fecal samples (n = 598), collected from finisher pigs within 3 weeks before marketing in 10 pig flows located in 8 states, were included in the study. Samples enriched in E. coli broth were subjected to a real-time PCR assay targeting three virulence genes, Shiga toxin 1 (stx1), Shiga toxin 2 (stx2), and intimin (eae), which encode for Shiga toxins 1 and 2, and intimin, respectively. A novel PCR assay was designed and validated to detect serogroups, O8, O20, O59, O86, O91, O100, O120, and O174, previously reported to be commonly present in swine feces. In addition, enriched fecal samples positive for Shiga toxin genes were subjected to a multiplex PCR assay targeting O26, O45, O103, O104, O111, O121, O145, and O157 serogroups implicated in human clinical infections. Of the 598 fecal samples tested by real-time PCR, 25.9%, 65.1%, and 67% were positive for stx1, stx2, and eae, respectively. The novel eight-plex PCR assay indicated the predominant prevalence of O8 (88.6%), O86 (35.5%), O174 (24.1%), O100 (20.2%), and O91 (15.6%) serogroups. Among the seven serogroups relevant to human infections, three serogroups, O121 (17.6%), O157 (14%), and O26 (11%) were predominant. PCR-based detection indicated high prevalence of Shiga toxin genes and serogroups that are known to carry Shiga toxin genes, including serogroups commonly prevalent in cattle feces and implicated in human infections and in edema disease in swine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Remfry
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
| | - Raghavendra G Amachawadi
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
| | - Xiaorong Shi
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
| | - Jianfa Bai
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA.,Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
| | - Jason C Woodworth
- Department of Animal Sciences and Industry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
| | - Mike D Tokach
- Department of Animal Sciences and Industry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
| | - Steve S Dritz
- Department of Animal Sciences and Industry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
| | - Robert D Goodband
- Department of Animal Sciences and Industry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
| | - Joel M DeRouchey
- Department of Animal Sciences and Industry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
| | - Tiruvoor G Nagaraja
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
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Ludwig JB, Shi X, Shridhar PB, Roberts EL, DebRoy C, Phebus RK, Bai J, Nagaraja TG. Multiplex PCR Assays for the Detection of One Hundred and Thirty Seven Serogroups of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Associated With Cattle. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 10:378. [PMID: 32850480 PMCID: PMC7403468 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.00378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Escherichia coli carrying prophage with genes that encode for Shiga toxins are categorized as Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) pathotype. Illnesses caused by STEC in humans, which are often foodborne, range from mild to bloody diarrhea with life-threatening complications of renal failure and hemolytic uremic syndrome and even death, particularly in children. As many as 158 of the total 187 serogroups of E. coli are known to carry Shiga toxin genes, which makes STEC a major pathotype of E. coli. Seven STEC serogroups, called top-7, which include O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, O145, and O157, are responsible for the majority of the STEC-associated human illnesses. The STEC serogroups, other than the top-7, called “non-top-7” have also been associated with human illnesses, more often as sporadic infections. Ruminants, particularly cattle, are principal reservoirs of STEC and harbor the organisms in the hindgut and shed in the feces, which serves as a major source of food and water contaminations. A number of studies have reported on the fecal prevalence of top-7 STEC in cattle feces. However, there is paucity of data on the prevalence of non-top-7 STEC serogroups in cattle feces, generally because of lack of validated detection methods. The objective of our study was to develop and validate 14 sets of multiplex PCR (mPCR) assays targeting serogroup-specific genes to detect 137 non-top-7 STEC serogroups previously reported to be present in cattle feces. Each assay included 7–12 serogroups and primers were designed to amplify the target genes with distinct amplicon sizes for each serogroup that can be readily identified within each assay. The assays were validated with 460 strains of known serogroups. The multiplex PCR assays designed in our study can be readily adapted by most laboratories for rapid identification of strains belonging to the non-top-7 STEC serogroups associated with cattle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin B Ludwig
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, United States
| | - Xiaorong Shi
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, United States
| | - Pragathi B Shridhar
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, United States
| | - Elisabeth L Roberts
- E. coli Reference Center, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Chitrita DebRoy
- E. coli Reference Center, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Randy K Phebus
- Department of Animal Sciences and Industry/Food Science Institute, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, United States
| | - Jianfa Bai
- Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Industry/Food Science Institute, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, United States
| | - T G Nagaraja
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, United States
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25
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Collis RM, Biggs PJ, Midwinter AC, Browne AS, Wilkinson DA, Irshad H, French NP, Brightwell G, Cookson AL. Genomic epidemiology and carbon metabolism of Escherichia coli serogroup O145 reflect contrasting phylogenies. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0235066. [PMID: 32584859 PMCID: PMC7316241 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0235066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are a leading cause of foodborne outbreaks of human disease, but they reside harmlessly as an asymptomatic commensal in the ruminant gut. STEC serogroup O145 are difficult to isolate as routine diagnostic methods are unable to distinguish non-O157 serogroups due to their heterogeneous metabolic characteristics, resulting in under-reporting which is likely to conceal their true prevalence. In light of these deficiencies, the purpose of this study was a twofold approach to investigate enhanced STEC O145 diagnostic culture-based methods: firstly, to use a genomic epidemiology approach to understand the genetic diversity and population structure of serogroup O145 at both a local (New Zealand) (n = 47) and global scale (n = 75) and, secondly, to identify metabolic characteristics that will help the development of a differential media for this serogroup. Analysis of a subset of E. coli serogroup O145 strains demonstrated considerable diversity in carbon utilisation, which varied in association with eae subtype and sequence type. Several carbon substrates, such as D-serine and D-malic acid, were utilised by the majority of serogroup O145 strains, which, when coupled with current molecular and culture-based methods, could aid in the identification of presumptive E. coli serogroup O145 isolates. These carbon substrates warrant subsequent testing with additional serogroup O145 strains and non-O145 strains. Serogroup O145 strains displayed extensive genetic heterogeneity that was correlated with sequence type and eae subtype, suggesting these genetic markers are good indicators for distinct E. coli phylogenetic lineages. Pangenome analysis identified a core of 3,036 genes and an open pangenome of >14,000 genes, which is consistent with the identification of distinct phylogenetic lineages. Overall, this study highlighted the phenotypic and genotypic heterogeneity within E. coli serogroup O145, suggesting that the development of a differential media targeting this serogroup will be challenging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rose M. Collis
- AgResearch Ltd, Hopkirk Research Institute, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
- Molecular Epidemiology and Veterinary Public Health Laboratory (EpiLab), Infectious Disease Research Centre, School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Patrick J. Biggs
- Molecular Epidemiology and Veterinary Public Health Laboratory (EpiLab), Infectious Disease Research Centre, School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
- School of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
- New Zealand Food Safety Science and Research Centre, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Anne C. Midwinter
- Molecular Epidemiology and Veterinary Public Health Laboratory (EpiLab), Infectious Disease Research Centre, School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - A. Springer Browne
- Molecular Epidemiology and Veterinary Public Health Laboratory (EpiLab), Infectious Disease Research Centre, School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - David A. Wilkinson
- Molecular Epidemiology and Veterinary Public Health Laboratory (EpiLab), Infectious Disease Research Centre, School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
- New Zealand Food Safety Science and Research Centre, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Hamid Irshad
- Animal Health Programme, National Agricultural Research Centre, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Nigel P. French
- Molecular Epidemiology and Veterinary Public Health Laboratory (EpiLab), Infectious Disease Research Centre, School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
- New Zealand Food Safety Science and Research Centre, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Gale Brightwell
- AgResearch Ltd, Hopkirk Research Institute, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
- New Zealand Food Safety Science and Research Centre, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Adrian L. Cookson
- AgResearch Ltd, Hopkirk Research Institute, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
- Molecular Epidemiology and Veterinary Public Health Laboratory (EpiLab), Infectious Disease Research Centre, School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
- * E-mail:
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26
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Cernicchiaro N, Oliveira ARS, Hoehn A, Noll LW, Shridhar PB, Nagaraja TG, Ives SE, Renter DG, Sanderson MW. Associations Between Season, Processing Plant, and Hide Cleanliness Scores with Prevalence and Concentration of Major Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli on Beef Cattle Hides. Foodborne Pathog Dis 2020; 17:611-619. [PMID: 32286857 DOI: 10.1089/fpd.2019.2778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The objectives of this study were (1) to estimate the prevalence and concentration of the seven major Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) serogroups (O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, O145, and O157), collectively called STEC-7, on cattle hides collected in different seasons and beef processing plants; and (2) to determine associations of season, plant, and hide cleanliness scores with the prevalence and concentration of STEC-7. A total of 720 hide surface samples (240/season) were collected over three seasons (summer and fall 2015 and spring 2016) from beef cattle carcasses in four commercial processing plants in the United States. Samples were subjected to selective culture and spiral plating methods. Overall model-adjusted mean prevalence (95% confidence interval) was 0.3% (0.03-2.3%) for STEC O26; 0.05% (<0.01-8.5%) for STEC O45; 0.2% (0.02-1.9%) for STEC O103; 0.05% (<0.01-8.5%) for STEC O145; and 3.1% (0.6-15.2%) for STEC O157. Four percent of hide samples were enumerable for STEC O157; mean concentration (standard deviation) = 2.1 (0.7) log10 colony-forming units (CFUs)/100 cm2. No samples were enumerable for non-O157 STEC. Hide-on prevalence of STEC O157 and STEC non-O157 (specifically of STEC O103) was higher in summer and spring, respectively. Across seasons and plants, the most common STEC non-O157 serogroups in this study (O26 and O103) were associated with a higher prevalence of STEC O157. Season and plant played a role in prevalence and concentration of STEC in beef cattle hides, varying by serogroup. Tailoring mitigation strategies at the plant can be challenging and processors would benefit from supplementary preharvest interventions to reduce overall contamination pressure at the plant, especially in fall and spring months when hide-on prevalence of STEC non-O157 is higher.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Cernicchiaro
- Center for Outcomes Research and Epidemiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
| | - Ana R S Oliveira
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
| | - Allison Hoehn
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
| | - Lance W Noll
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
| | - Pragathi B Shridhar
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
| | - Tiruvoor G Nagaraja
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
| | - Samuel E Ives
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, West Texas A&M University, Canyon, Texas, USA
| | - David G Renter
- Center for Outcomes Research and Epidemiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
| | - Michael W Sanderson
- Center for Outcomes Research and Epidemiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
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27
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Dixon A, Cernicchiaro N, Amachawadi RG, Shi X, Cull CA, Renter DG. Longitudinal Characterization of Prevalence and Concentration of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Serogroups in Feces of Individual Feedlot Cattle. Foodborne Pathog Dis 2020; 17:631-639. [PMID: 32191498 DOI: 10.1089/fpd.2019.2777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The objective of this study was to quantify the frequency, distribution, and variability of fecal shedding and super-shedding of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) serogroups O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, O145, and O157 in feedlot cattle over time. A total of 750 fecal grab samples were collected over a 5-week period (June-July 2017) from 150 cattle housed in 10 pens at a commercial feedlot operation. Samples were subjected to culture-based methods and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction for STEC detection and quantification. Cumulative animal-level prevalence estimates were 9.5%, 5.2%, and 15.8% for STEC O157, non-O157 STEC serogroups only (STEC-6), and for all STEC serogroups tested (STEC-7), respectively, with the prevalence of STEC O157 and STEC-7 significantly differing between weeks (p < 0.01). Most of the variability in fecal shedding for STEC O157, STEC-6, and STEC-7 was between pens, rather than between cattle. Over the 5-week period, 10 animals (6.7%) persistently shed STEC non-O157 over 3 or more consecutive weeks, whereas 2 animals (1.3%) intermittently shed STEC non-O157 on nonconsecutive weeks. Fifteen animals (10.0%) shed multiple STEC serogroups within the same fecal sample and five animals (3.3%) shed multiple serogroups at super-shedding levels, higher than 104 CFU (colony-forming units)/g, in the same sample. The presence of a super-shedder in a pen was significantly associated with a greater within pen-level prevalence of STEC-6 (p = 0.01). This study gives further insights into intermittent and persistent shedding and super-shedding patterns of STEC serogroups in individual feedlot cattle, which can enable the development and effective application of preharvest and periharvest interventions, as well as surveillance strategies, for these pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Dixon
- Center for Outcomes Research and Epidemiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA.,Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
| | - Natalia Cernicchiaro
- Center for Outcomes Research and Epidemiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA.,Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
| | - Raghavendra G Amachawadi
- Center for Outcomes Research and Epidemiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA.,Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
| | - Xiaorong Shi
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
| | - Charley A Cull
- Midwest Veterinary Services, Inc., Oakland, Nebraska, USA
| | - David G Renter
- Center for Outcomes Research and Epidemiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA.,Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
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28
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Single-Cell-Based Digital PCR Detection and Association of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Serogroups and Major Virulence Genes. J Clin Microbiol 2020; 58:JCM.01684-19. [PMID: 31896667 DOI: 10.1128/jcm.01684-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Accepted: 12/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Escherichia coli serogroups O157, O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145, when carrying major virulence genes, the Shiga toxin genes stx 1 and stx 2 and the intimin gene eae, are important foodborne pathogens. They are referred to as the "top 7" Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) serogroups and were declared by the USDA as adulterants to human health. Since top 7 serogroup-positive cattle feces and ground beef can also contain nonadulterant E. coli strains, regular PCR cannot confirm whether the virulence genes are carried by adulterant or nonadulterant E. coli serogroups. Thus, traditional gold-standard STEC detection requires bacterial isolation and characterization, which are not compatible with high-throughput settings and often take a week to obtain a definitive result. In this study, we demonstrated that the partition-based multichannel digital PCR (dPCR) system can be used to detect and associate the E. coli serogroup-specific gene with major virulence genes and developed a single-cell-based dPCR approach for rapid (within 1 day) and accurate detection and confirmation of major STEC serogroups in high-throughput settings. Major virulence genes carried by each of the top 7 STEC serogroups were detected by dPCR with appropriately diluted intact bacterial cells from pure cultures, culture-spiked cattle feces, and culture-spiked ground beef. Furthermore, from 100 randomly collected, naturally shed cattle fecal samples, 3 O103 strains carrying eae and 2 O45 strains carrying stx 1 were identified by this dPCR assay and verified by the traditional isolation method. This novel and rapid dPCR assay is a culture-independent, high-throughput, accurate, and sensitive method for STEC detection and confirmation.
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29
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Reynolds C, Checkley S, Chui L, Otto S, Neumann NF. Evaluating the risks associated with Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in private well waters in Canada. Can J Microbiol 2020; 66:337-350. [PMID: 32069070 DOI: 10.1139/cjm-2019-0329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) represent a major concern for waterborne disease outbreaks associated with consumption of contaminated groundwater. Over 4 million people rely on private groundwater systems as their primary drinking water source in Canada; many of these systems do not meet current standards for water quality. This manuscript provides a scoping overview of studies examining STEC prevalence and occurrence in groundwater, and it includes a synopsis of the environmental variables affecting survival, transport, persistence, and overall occurrence of these important pathogenic microbes in private groundwater wells used for drinking purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin Reynolds
- Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G7, Canada
| | - Sylvia Checkley
- Department of Ecosystem Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary
| | - Linda Chui
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta
| | - Simon Otto
- Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G7, Canada
| | - Norman F Neumann
- Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G7, Canada
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30
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Manage DP, Lauzon J, Jones CM, Ward PJ, Pilarski LM, Pilarski PM, McMullen LM. Detection of pathogenic Escherichia coli on potentially contaminated beef carcasses using cassette PCR and conventional PCR. BMC Microbiol 2019; 19:175. [PMID: 31362696 PMCID: PMC6668150 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-019-1541-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2018] [Accepted: 07/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Over a one year period, swabs of 820 beef carcasses were tested for the presence of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli by performing Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) in a novel technology termed "cassette PCR", in comparison to conventional liquid PCR. Cassette PCR is inexpensive and ready-to-use. The operator need only add the sample and press "go". Cassette PCR can simultaneously test multiple samples for multiple targets. Carcass swab samples were first tested for the presence of STEC genes (O157, eae, stx1 and stx2). Samples were considered to be pathogenic if positive for eae plus stx1 and/or stx2. For samples scored as pathogenic, further testing screened for 6 additional high frequency O-antigens (O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145). RESULTS Of the 820 samples, 41% were pathogenic and 30% were O157 positive. Of these, 19% of samples were positive for O157 and carried potentially pathogenic E. coli (eae plus stx1 and/or stx2). Of all samples identified as carrying pathogenic E. coli, 18.9, 38.8, 41.4, 0, 36.1, and 4.1% respectively were positive for O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145. To validate cassette PCR testing, conventional PCR using STEC primers was performed on each of the 820 samples. Only 148 of 3280 cassette PCR tests were discordant with conventional PCR results. However, further fractional testing showed that 110 of these 148 PCRs reflected low numbers of E. coli in the enrichment broth and could be explained as due to Poisson limiting dilution of the template, affecting both cassette PCR and conventional PCR. Of the remaining 38 discordant tests, 27 initial capillary PCRs and 10 initial conventional tests were nominally discordant between cassette and conventional PCR, perhaps reflecting human/technical error on both sides of the comparison. CONCLUSIONS Contaminated beef carcass swabs were often complex, likely harboring more than one strain of pathogenic E. coli. Cassette PCR had 98.8% concordance with parallel conventional PCR for detection of STEC genes. This indicates that cassette PCR is highly reliable for detecting multiple pathogens in beef carcass swabs from processing plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dammika P Manage
- Department of Oncology, University of Alberta and Cross Cancer Institute, 11560 University Ave, Edmonton, AB, T6G 1Z2, Canada
| | - Jana Lauzon
- Department of Oncology, University of Alberta and Cross Cancer Institute, 11560 University Ave, Edmonton, AB, T6G 1Z2, Canada
| | - Christina M Jones
- Department of Oncology, University of Alberta and Cross Cancer Institute, 11560 University Ave, Edmonton, AB, T6G 1Z2, Canada
| | - Patrick J Ward
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2P5, Canada
| | - Linda M Pilarski
- Department of Oncology, University of Alberta and Cross Cancer Institute, 11560 University Ave, Edmonton, AB, T6G 1Z2, Canada
| | - Patrick M Pilarski
- Division of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, 5-005 Katz Group Centre for Pharmacy and Health Research, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E1, Canada
| | - Lynn M McMullen
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2P5, Canada.
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31
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Shridhar PB, Patel IR, Gangiredla J, Noll LW, Shi X, Bai J, Nagaraja TG. DNA Microarray-Based Genomic Characterization of the Pathotypes of Escherichia coli O26, O45, O103, O111, and O145 Isolated from Feces of Feedlot Cattle †. J Food Prot 2019; 82:395-404. [PMID: 30794460 DOI: 10.4315/0362-028x.jfp-18-393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) serogroups O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145, referred to as the top six non-O157 serogroups, are responsible for more than 70% of human non-O157 STEC infections in North America. Cattle harbor non-O157 strains in the hindgut and shed them in the feces. The objective of this study was to use the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) E. coli identification (ECID) DNA microarray to identify the serotype, assess the virulence potential of each, and determine the phylogenetic relationships among five of the six non-O157 E. coli serogroups isolated from feedlot cattle feces. Forty-four strains of STEC, enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC), enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), or putative nonpathotype E. coli (NPEC) of cattle origin and five human clinical strains of EHEC were assayed with the FDA-ECID DNA microarray. The cattle strains harbored diverse flagellar genes. The bovine and human strains belonging to serogroups O26, O45, and O103 carried stx1 only, O111 carried both stx1 and stx2, and O145 carried either stx1 or stx2. The strains were also positive for various subtypes of intimin and other adhesins (IrgA homologue adhesin, long polar fimbriae, mannose-specific adhesin, and curli). Both human and cattle strains were positive for LEE-encoded type III secretory system genes and non-LEE-encoded effector genes. SplitsTree4, a program used to determine the phylogenetic relationship among the strains, revealed that the strains within each serogroup clustered according to their pathotype. In addition to genes encoding Shiga toxins, bovine non-O157 E. coli strains possessed other major virulence genes, including those for adhesins, type III secretory system proteins, and plasmid-borne virulence genes, similar to human clinical strains. Because virulence factors encoded by these genes are involved in the pathogenesis of various pathotypes of E. coli, the bovine non-O157 strains could cause human illness. The FDA-ECID DNA microarray assay rapidly provided a profile of the virulence genes for assessment of the virulence potential of each strain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pragathi B Shridhar
- 1 Department of Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506
| | - Isha R Patel
- 2 U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Division of Molecular Biology, Laurel, Maryland 20708, USA
| | - Jayanthi Gangiredla
- 2 U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Division of Molecular Biology, Laurel, Maryland 20708, USA
| | - Lance W Noll
- 1 Department of Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506
| | - Xiaorong Shi
- 1 Department of Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506
| | - Jianfa Bai
- 3 Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506
| | - T G Nagaraja
- 1 Department of Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506
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Ekong PS, Sanderson MW, Shridhar PB, Cernicchiaro N, Renter DG, Bello NM, Bai J, Nagaraja TG. Bayesian estimation of sensitivity and specificity of culture- and PCR-based methods for the detection of six major non-O157 Escherichia coli serogroups in cattle feces. Prev Vet Med 2018; 161:90-99. [PMID: 30466664 DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2018.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2017] [Revised: 10/12/2018] [Accepted: 10/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (non-O157 STEC, O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145) are foodborne pathogens of public health importance. Culture and PCR-based methods have been developed for the detection of these serogroups in cattle feces. The objectives of this study were to evaluate diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of PCR- and culture-based methods for the detection of the six non-O157 serogroups, and to estimate their true prevalence in cattle feces, using a Bayesian latent class modeling approach that accounts for conditional dependence among the three methods. A total of 576 fecal samples collected from the floor of pens of finishing feedlot cattle during summer 2013 were used. Fecal samples, suspended in E. coli broth, were enriched and subjected to three detection methods: culture (involving immunomagnetic separation with serogroup specific beads and plating on a selective medium), conventional (cPCR), and multiplex quantitative PCR (mqPCR) assays. Samples were considered serogroup positive if the sample or the recovered isolate tested positive by PCR for an O gene of interest; neither Shiga toxin (stx) nor intimin (eae) genes were assessed. Prior information on the performance of the three methods was elicited from three subject experts. Culture was generally the least sensitive and most specific of the 3 tests across serogroups, mqPCR was generally the most sensitive test and cPCR more specific than mqPCR. Sensitivity analysis indicated that posterior inferences on test performance and prevalence were susceptible to prior specification in cases where few or no detections present in the data for selected combinations of diagnostic methods (i.e. extreme category problem). Our results characterize performance of detection methods and true prevalence of non-O157 serogroups, thus informing necessary adjustments for test bias in risk modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pius S Ekong
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66502, United States; Center for Outcomes Research and Epidemiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66502, United States
| | - Michael W Sanderson
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66502, United States; Center for Outcomes Research and Epidemiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66502, United States.
| | - Pragathi B Shridhar
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66502, United States
| | - Natalia Cernicchiaro
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66502, United States; Center for Outcomes Research and Epidemiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66502, United States
| | - David G Renter
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66502, United States; Center for Outcomes Research and Epidemiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66502, United States
| | - Nora M Bello
- Center for Outcomes Research and Epidemiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66502, United States; Department of Statistics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66502, United States
| | - Jianfa Bai
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66502, United States
| | - T G Nagaraja
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66502, United States
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McCabe E, Burgess CM, Lawal D, Whyte P, Duffy G. An investigation of shedding and super-shedding of Shiga toxigenic Escherichia coli O157 and E. coli O26 in cattle presented for slaughter in the Republic of Ireland. Zoonoses Public Health 2018; 66:83-91. [PMID: 30350347 DOI: 10.1111/zph.12531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2018] [Revised: 07/16/2018] [Accepted: 09/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Shiga toxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC) are an important group of pathogens and can be transmitted to humans from direct or indirect contact with cattle faeces. This study investigated the shedding of E. coli O157 and O26 in cattle at the time of slaughter and factors associated with super-shedding (SS) animals. Rectoanal mucosal swab (RAMS) samples were collected from cattle (n = 1,317) at three large Irish commercial beef abattoirs over an 18 month period, and metadata were collected at the time of sampling regarding farm of origin, animal age, breed and gender. RAMS swabs were examined for the presence and numbers of E. coli O157 and O26 using a previously developed quantitative real-time PCR protocol. Samples positive by PCR were culturally examined and isolates analysed for the presence of stx subtypes, eae and phylogroup. Any samples with counts >104 CFU/swab of STEC O157 or O26 were deemed to be super-shedders. Overall, 4.18% (55/1,317) of RAMS samples were positive for STEC O157, and 2.13% (28/1,317) were classified as STEC O157 SS. For STEC O26, 0.76% (10/1,317) of cattle were positive for STEC O26, and 0.23% (3/1,317) were classified as super-shedders. Fewer STEC shedders and SS were noted among older animals (>37 months). There was a seasonal trend observed for STEC O157, with the highest prevalence of shedding and SS events in the autumn (August to October). The majority of E. coli O157 (50/55) isolates had stx2 and were eae positive, with no significant difference between SS and low shedders (LS). Interestingly, all STEC O26 (n = 10) were eae negative and had varied stx profiles. This study demonstrates that, while the overall shedding rates are relatively low in cattle at slaughter, among positive animals there is a high level of SS, which may pose a higher risk of cross-contamination during slaughter.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Dolapo Lawal
- Teagasc Food Research Centre, Dublin, Ireland.,School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Paul Whyte
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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Wang LYR, Jokinen CC, Laing CR, Johnson RP, Ziebell K, Gannon VPJ. Multi-Year Persistence of Verotoxigenic Escherichia coli (VTEC) in a Closed Canadian Beef Herd: A Cohort Study. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:2040. [PMID: 30233526 PMCID: PMC6127291 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.02040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2018] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
In this study, fecal samples were collected from a closed beef herd in Alberta, Canada from 2012 to 2015. To limit serotype bias, which was observed in enrichment broth cultures, Verotoxigenic Escherichia coli (VTEC) were isolated directly from samples using a hydrophobic grid-membrane filter verotoxin immunoblot assay. Overall VTEC isolation rates were similar for three different cohorts of yearling heifers on both an annual (68.5 to 71.8%) and seasonal basis (67.3 to 76.0%). Across all three cohorts, O139:H19 (37.1% of VTEC-positive samples), O22:H8 (15.8%) and O?(O108):H8 (15.4%) were among the most prevalent serotypes. However, isolation rates for serotypes O139:H19, O130:H38, O6:H34, O91:H21, and O113:H21 differed significantly between cohort-years, as did isolation rates for some serotypes within a single heifer cohort. There was a high level of VTEC serotype diversity with an average of 4.3 serotypes isolated per heifer and 65.8% of the heifers classified as "persistent shedders" of VTEC based on the criteria of >50% of samples positive and ≥4 consecutive samples positive. Only 26.8% (90/336) of the VTEC isolates from yearling heifers belonged to the human disease-associated seropathotypes A (O157:H7), B (O26:H11, O111:NM), and C (O22:H8, O91:H21, O113:H21, O137:H41, O2:H6). Conversely, seropathotypes B (O26:NM, O111:NM) and C (O91:H21, O2:H29) strains were dominant (76.0%, 19/25) among VTEC isolates from month-old calves from this herd. Among VTEC from heifers, carriage rates of vt1, vt2, vt1+vt2, eae, and hlyA were 10.7, 20.8, 68.5, 3.9, and 88.7%, respectively. The adhesin gene saa was present in 82.7% of heifer strains but absent from all of 13 eae+ve strains (from serotypes/intimin types O157:H7/γ1, O26:H11/β1, O111:NM/θ, O84:H2/ζ, and O182:H25/ζ). Phylogenetic relationships inferred from wgMLST and pan genome-derived core SNP analysis showed that strains clustered by phylotype and serotype. Further, VTEC strains of the same serotype usually shared the same suite of antibiotic resistance and virulence genes, suggesting the circulation of dominant clones within this distinct herd. This study provides insight into the diverse and dynamic nature of VTEC populations within groups of cattle and points to a broad spectrum of human health risks associated with these E. coli strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Ya Ruth Wang
- National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | | | - Chad R Laing
- National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Roger P Johnson
- National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Kim Ziebell
- National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Victor P J Gannon
- National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
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Noll LW, Shridhar PB, Ives SE, Cha E, Nagaraja TG, Renter DG. Detection and Quantification of Seven Major Serogroups of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli on Hides of Cull Dairy, Cull Beef, and Fed Beef Cattle at Slaughter †. J Food Prot 2018; 81:1236-1244. [PMID: 29969294 DOI: 10.4315/0362-028x.jfp-17-497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Dehiding during beef cattle processing can introduce fecal contaminants, including Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), from hides onto carcass surfaces, creating the potential for contaminated beef. Fecal shedding of major STEC serogroups (O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, O145, and O157; STEC-7) may differ among cattle populations, yet no study has been conducted to isolate STEC-7 on hides of multiple cattle types on the same production days at the same processing plant. Our objective was to estimate and compare prevalence and concentrations of STEC-7 on hides of cull dairy, cull beef, and fed beef cattle from the same date and processing plant. Overall, 1,500 cattle hides were sponge sampled from cull dairy ( n = 500), cull beef ( n = 500) and fed beef cattle ( n = 500) over 10 processing days. To determine prevalence, samples were subjected to an immunomagnetic separation culture method, and presumptive STEC isolates were tested by PCR for serogroup and major virulence genes. A spiral plate method was used to enumerate STEC-7 from hide samples. Data were analyzed with linear mixed models. All STEC-7 serogroups except O121 were detected and quantified on cattle hides in this study population. Slightly more fed beef hides (77 of 500; 15.4%) and cull beef hides (76 of 500; 15.2%) were positive for at least one STEC-7 strain compared with cull dairy hides (57 of 500; 11.4%), but cattle type was not significantly associated ( P = 0.19) with STEC-7 prevalence. Fed beef hides had a significantly higher prevalence ( P < 0.05) of STEC O103, O145, and O157 serogroups than did either of the other cattle types. The highest proportions of quantifiable samples were for STEC O145 (32 of 1,500 samples; 2.1%) and O157 (31 of 1,500 samples; 2.1%) serogroups, with the majority of concentrations at 3 to 5 and 2 to 4 log CFU/100 cm2 of hide, respectively. Results indicate that hide contamination with some major STEC serogroups differs significantly among cattle types at harvest, even within the same day and location.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lance W Noll
- 1 Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506
| | - Pragathi B Shridhar
- 1 Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506
| | - Samuel E Ives
- 2 Department of Agricultural Sciences, College of Agriculture, Science and Engineering, West Texas A&M University, Canyon, Texas 79016, USA
| | - Elva Cha
- 1 Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506.,3 Center for Outcomes Research and Epidemiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506
| | - T G Nagaraja
- 1 Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506
| | - David G Renter
- 1 Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506.,3 Center for Outcomes Research and Epidemiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506
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Variability in Characterizing Escherichia coli from Cattle Feces: A Cautionary Tale. Microorganisms 2018; 6:microorganisms6030074. [PMID: 30037096 PMCID: PMC6165469 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms6030074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2018] [Revised: 07/17/2018] [Accepted: 07/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are diverse bacteria, with seven serogroups (O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, O145, O157; "Top 7") of interest due to their predominance in human disease. Confirmation of STEC relies on a combination of culturing, immunological and molecular assays, but no single gold standard for identification exists. In this study, we compared analysis of STEC between three independent laboratories (LAB) using different methodologies. In LAB A, colonies of Top 7 were picked after serogroup-specific immunomagnetic separation of feces from western-Canadian slaughter cattle. A fraction of each colony was tested by PCR (stx1, stx2, eae, O group), and Top 7 isolates were saved as glycerol stocks (n = 689). In LAB B, a subsample of isolates (n = 171) were evaluated for stx1 and stx2 using different primer sets. For this, approximately half of the PCR were performed using original DNA template provided by LAB A and half using DNA extracted from sub-cultured isolates. All Top 7 isolates were sub-cultured by LAB A and shipped to LAB C for traditional serotyping (TS) to determine O and H groups, with PCR-confirmation of virulence genes using a third set of primers. By TS, 76% of O groups (525/689) matched PCR-determined O groups. Lowest proportions (p < 0.05) of O group matches between PCR and TS (62.6% and 69.8%) occurred for O26 and O45 serogroups, respectively. PCR-detection of stx differed most between LAB A and LAB C. Excluding isolates where O groups by PCR and TS did not match, detection of stx1 was most consistent (p < 0.01) for O111 and O157:H7/NM. In contrast, for O45 and O103, stx1 was detected in >65% of isolates by LAB A and <5% by LAB C. Stx2 was only detected by LAB C in isolates of serogroups O121, O145, and O157:H7/NM. LAB B also detected stx2 in O26 and O157:H12/H29, while LAB A detected stx2 in all serogroups. Excluding O111 and O157:H7/NM, marked changes in stx detection were observed between initial isolation and sub-cultures of the same isolate. While multiple explanations exist for discordant O-typing between PCR and TS and for differences in stx detection across labs, these data suggest that assays for STEC classification may require re-evaluation and/or standardization.
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Noll LW, Chall R, Shridhar PB, Liu X, Bai J, Delannoy S, Fach P, Nagaraja TG. Validation and Application of a Real-Time PCR Assay Based on the CRISPR Array for Serotype-Specific Detection and Quantification of Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Cattle Feces †. J Food Prot 2018; 81:1157-1164. [PMID: 29939793 DOI: 10.4315/0362-028x.jfp-18-049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Several real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) assays have been developed for detection and quantification of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in complex matrices by targeting genes for serogroup-specific O-antigen ( rfbEO157), H7 antigen, and one or more major virulence factors (Shiga toxin and intimin). A major limitation of such assays is that coamplification of H7 and virulence genes in a sample does not signal association of those genes with the O157 serogroup. Clusters of regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) polymorphisms are highly correlated with certain enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) serotypes, including O157:H7, and the presence of genes for Shiga toxin ( stx1 and stx2) and intimin ( eae). Our objectives were to develop and validate a qPCR assay targeting the CRISPR array for the detection and quantification of EHEC O157:H7 in cattle feces and to evaluate the applicability of the assay for detection of and comparison with a four-plex qPCR assay targeting rfbEO157, stx1, stx2, and eae genes and a culture method. Detection limits of the CRISPRO157:H7 qPCR assay for cattle feces spiked with pure cultures were 2.1 × 103 and 2.3 × 100 CFU/g before and after enrichment, respectively. Detection of E. coli O157 in feedlot cattle fecal samples ( n = 576) was compared among the CRISPRO157:H7 qPCR assay, culture method, and four-plex qPCR assay. The CRISPRO157:H7 qPCR detected 42.2% of the samples (243 of 576 samples) as positive for E. coli O157:H7, compared with 30.4% (175 samples) by the culture method. Nearly all samples (97.2%; 560 samples) were positive for rfbEO157 by the four-plex PCR, but 21.8% (122 of 560 samples) were negative for the stx and/or eae genes, making it unlikely that EHEC O157:H7 was present in these samples. Cohen's kappa statistic indicated a fair and poor agreement beyond that due to chance between the CRISPR assay and the culture method and four-plex assay, respectively. This novel qPCR assay can detect the EHEC O157:H7 serotype in cattle feces by targeting CRISPR polymorphisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lance W Noll
- 1 Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506, USA
| | - Rachel Chall
- 1 Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506, USA
| | - Pragathi B Shridhar
- 1 Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506, USA
| | - Xuming Liu
- 2 Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506, USA
| | - Jianfa Bai
- 2 Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506, USA
| | - Sabine Delannoy
- 3 Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES), Food Safety Laboratory, Platform IdentyPath, Université Paris-Est, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Patrick Fach
- 3 Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES), Food Safety Laboratory, Platform IdentyPath, Université Paris-Est, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - T G Nagaraja
- 1 Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506, USA
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Mylius M, Dreesman J, Pulz M, Pallasch G, Beyrer K, Claußen K, Allerberger F, Fruth A, Lang C, Prager R, Flieger A, Schlager S, Kalhöfer D, Mertens E. Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O103:H2 outbreak in Germany after school trip to Austria due to raw cow milk, 2017 - The important role of international collaboration for outbreak investigations. Int J Med Microbiol 2018; 308:539-544. [PMID: 29884330 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmm.2018.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2018] [Revised: 05/18/2018] [Accepted: 05/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Following a school ski-trip to Austria from 10 to 18/02/2017, nine of 25 participants of the group from Lower Saxony (Germany) developed gastroenteritis. The students and teachers (17-41 years) shared meals in a hotel. Active case finding revealed further cases among German school groups from North Rhine-Westphalia and Schleswig-Holstein, staying at the same hotel in February 2017. We conducted two retrospective cohort studies using self-administered questionnaires on clinical symptoms and food consumption. We defined a case as a trip participant in February 2017, staying at the aforementioned hotel and developing diarrhoea, vomiting or abdominal pain during or within ten days after the trip and/or who had a stool sample tested positive for STEC within four weeks after the trip. During the outbreak investigation, Austrian authorities detected that unlabeled raw cow milk delivered by a dairy farm had been offered at the hotel for breakfast during January and February 2017. Stool samples of participants, samples of milk served in the hotel and fecal samples of various animals kept at the milk-delivering farm were examined by culture and polymerase chain reaction. STEC isolates were typed using Pulsed-field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) and Whole-Genome Sequencing (WGS). All 25 participants from Lower Saxony completed the questionnaire on symptoms and milk consumption; 14 were cases (56%). Thirteen of 20 participants who had consumed cold milk fell ill (risk ratio (RR): 3.25; 95%-confidence interval (CI): 0.55-19.32). Of 159 trip participants from North Rhine-Westphalia, 81 completed the questionnaire (51%), 25 were cases (31%); RR for cold milk was 2.11 (CI: 0.89-5.03). The combined RR for cold milk in both groups was 2.49 (CI: 1.16-5.35). Shiga toxin 1a-gene and eaeA-gene positive STEC O103:H2 were detected in nine of 32 patients' stool samples and in two of 18 dairy farm cattle. Nine isolates from human stool samples and two isolates from cattle fecal samples yielded the same strain with an almost identical PFGE-pattern and WGS-profile. Microbiological and epidemiological evidence identified raw cow milk as the vehicle. Results may have been compromised by misclassification of cases due to a recall bias and mild symptoms. As a result of this outbreak investigation, the Austrian authorities enforced Austrian law in the hotel, to provide milk only when pasteurized. We recommend re-emphasizing the risk of raw milk consumption to providers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maren Mylius
- Governmental Institute of Public Health of Lower Saxony (Niedersächsisches Landesgesundheitsamt, NLGA), Hanover, Germany; Postgraduate Training for Applied Epidemiology (PAE), Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany; affiliated with the European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training, ECDC, Sweden.
| | - Johannes Dreesman
- Governmental Institute of Public Health of Lower Saxony (Niedersächsisches Landesgesundheitsamt, NLGA), Hanover, Germany.
| | - Matthias Pulz
- Governmental Institute of Public Health of Lower Saxony (Niedersächsisches Landesgesundheitsamt, NLGA), Hanover, Germany.
| | | | - Konrad Beyrer
- Governmental Institute of Public Health of Lower Saxony (Niedersächsisches Landesgesundheitsamt, NLGA), Hanover, Germany.
| | - Katja Claußen
- Governmental Institute of Public Health of Lower Saxony (Niedersächsisches Landesgesundheitsamt, NLGA), Hanover, Germany.
| | | | - Angelika Fruth
- National Reference Centre for Salmonella and other Bacterial Enteritic Pathogens, Division of Enteropathogenic Bacteria and Legionella (FG11), Robert Koch Institute, Wernigerode, Germany.
| | - Christina Lang
- National Reference Centre for Salmonella and other Bacterial Enteritic Pathogens, Division of Enteropathogenic Bacteria and Legionella (FG11), Robert Koch Institute, Wernigerode, Germany
| | - Rita Prager
- National Reference Centre for Salmonella and other Bacterial Enteritic Pathogens, Division of Enteropathogenic Bacteria and Legionella (FG11), Robert Koch Institute, Wernigerode, Germany
| | - Antje Flieger
- National Reference Centre for Salmonella and other Bacterial Enteritic Pathogens, Division of Enteropathogenic Bacteria and Legionella (FG11), Robert Koch Institute, Wernigerode, Germany
| | - Sabine Schlager
- Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), Graz, Austria.
| | | | - Elke Mertens
- Governmental Institute of Public Health of Lower Saxony (Niedersächsisches Landesgesundheitsamt, NLGA), Hanover, Germany.
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Paquette SJ, Stanford K, Thomas J, Reuter T. Quantitative surveillance of shiga toxins 1 and 2, Escherichia coli O178 and O157 in feces of western-Canadian slaughter cattle enumerated by droplet digital PCR with a focus on seasonality and slaughterhouse location. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0195880. [PMID: 29649278 PMCID: PMC5897018 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0195880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2018] [Accepted: 03/31/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Often Escherichia coli are harmless and/or beneficial bacteria inhabiting the gastrointestinal tract of livestock and humans. However, Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) have been linked to human disease. Cattle are the primary reservoir for STEC and STEC “super-shedders” are considered to be a major contributor in animal to animal transmission. Among STEC, O157:H7 is the most recognized serotype, but in recent years, non-O157 STEC have been increasingly linked to human disease. In Argentina and Germany, O178 is considered an emerging pathogen. Our objective was to compare populations of E. coli O178, O157, shiga toxin 1 and 2 in western Canadian cattle feces from a sampling pool of ~80,000 beef cattle collected at two slaughterhouses. Conventional PCR was utilized to screen 1,773 samples for presence/absence of E. coli O178. A subset of samples (n = 168) was enumerated using droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) and proportions of O178, O157 and shiga toxins 1 & 2 specific-fragments were calculated as a proportion of generic E. coli (GEC) specific-fragments. Distribution of stx1 and stx2 was determined by comparing stx1, stx2 and O157 enumerations. Conventional PCR detected the presence of O178 in 873 of 1,773 samples and ddPCR found the average proportion of O178, O157, stx1 and stx2 in the samples 2.8%, 0.6%, 1.4% and 0.5%, respectively. Quantification of stx1 and stx2 revealed more virulence genes than could be exclusively attributed to O157. Our results confirmed the presence of E. coli O178 in western Canadian cattle and ddPCR revealed O178 as a greater proportion of GEC than was O157. Our results suggests: I) O178 may be an emerging subgroup in Canada and II) monitoring virulence genes may be a more relevant target for food-safety STEC surveillance compared to current serogroup screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah-Jo Paquette
- Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
- University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - Kim Stanford
- Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - James Thomas
- University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - Tim Reuter
- Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
- * E-mail:
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40
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Schneider LG, Lewis GL, Moxley RA, Smith DR. A four-season longitudinal study of enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli in beef cow-calf herds in Mississippi and Nebraska. Zoonoses Public Health 2018; 65:552-559. [PMID: 29573177 DOI: 10.1111/zph.12465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Our objective was to describe the probability of detecting seven serogroups of enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC-7) of public health importance in faecal samples from beef cow-calf herds and to test for factors associated with their detection. Fresh faecal samples (n = 85) from two Mississippi and two Nebraska herds were collected in each of four seasons. Samples were tested for each EHEC-7 serogroup by a molecular screening assay. Separate management groups within herds were sampled, and group-level factors were recorded. To measure the effects of factors on faecal shedding of EHEC-7, separate multivariable logistic regression models were used, accounting for the random effect of clustering by group within farm. Statistical significance was set α = 0.05. Fifty-nine samples (4.3%) were positive for EHEC O26, and Nebraska samples were more likely to be positive than Mississippi samples (OR = 12.4, 95% CI: 1.1, 139.2). Forty-four samples (3.2%) were positive for EHEC O45. Odds for detection were greater in the summer than all other seasons combined (OR = 4.2, 95% CI: 1.3, 14.0), and odds decreased if a precipitation event occurred (OR = 0.07, 95% CI: 0.006, 0.8). EHEC O103 was detected in 66 samples (4.9%) with increased probability to be detected at increased temperature. EHEC O111 was detected in 71 samples (5.2%), and 43 samples (3.2%) were positive for EHEC O145. Both EHEC O111 and O145 were associated separately with season, with greater probability for detection in the summer. Eighteen (1.3%) and 68 (5.0%) samples were positive for EHEC O121 and EHEC O157, respectively. We failed to detect significant explanatory factors associated with probability to detect EHEC O121 or O157. Factors that vary by time and place, such as precipitation, ambient temperature, region and season, are uniquely associated with the probability to detect EHEC-7 in fresh faeces collected from cow-calf herds.
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Affiliation(s)
- L G Schneider
- Department of Animal Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - G L Lewis
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - R A Moxley
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - D R Smith
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA
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Pohlenz TD, Zavadilova K, Ghosh A, Zurek L. Prevalence of Shiga-toxigenic Escherichia coli in House Flies (Diptera: Muscidae) in an Urban Environment. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2018; 55:436-439. [PMID: 29272420 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjx225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
House flies (Musca domestica L. [Diptera: Muscidae]) can act as a mechanical vector for food-borne pathogens including Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (Migula; Enterobacteriales: Enterobacteriaceae) (STEC) in and around cattle feedlots. The present study assessed the prevalence of STEC in house flies from a restaurant area of a town in northeastern Kansas. Two hundred twenty-four house flies were collected over 10 wk, surface sterilized, individually homogenized, and cultured by a multifaceted approach of direct plating on selective media and an enrichment broth, followed by the immunomagnetic separation. Bacterial isolates were screened for eight serogroups of E. coli: O103, O104, O26, O111, O45, O145, O121, and O157 using multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Furthermore, O-serogroup-positive isolates were tested for virulence genes stx1, stx2, eae, and ehxA by PCR. The majority (91.5%) of flies carried enteric bacteria, and the mean value of enteric concentration on the modified Possé agar was 6.7 ± 1.1 × 106 colony forming units per fly. Thirty-nine of the 224 flies (17.4%) were positive for one or more E. coli serogroup of interest; with the majority O103 (10.7%), followed by O26 (3.1%), O121 (1.3%), O45 (1.3%), and O104 (0.9%). However, none of the serogroup-positive isolates carried any of the virulence genes tested. Results of our study show that house flies in the urban environment do not carry STEC. Nevertheless, detection of E. coli O-serogroups with the potential to acquire virulence traits indicates that house flies in an urban environment represent a public health risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler D Pohlenz
- Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS
| | - Klara Zavadilova
- Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS
| | - Anuradha Ghosh
- Department of Biology, Pittsburg State University, Pittsburg, KS
| | - Ludek Zurek
- Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS
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Noll LW, Worley JN, Yang X, Shridhar PB, Ludwig JB, Shi X, Bai J, Caragea D, Meng J, Nagaraja TG. Comparative genomics reveals differences in mobile virulence genes of Escherichia coli O103 pathotypes of bovine fecal origin. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0191362. [PMID: 29389941 PMCID: PMC5794082 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0191362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2017] [Accepted: 01/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Escherichia coli O103, harbored in the hindgut and shed in the feces of cattle, can be enterohemorrhagic (EHEC), enteropathogenic (EPEC), or putative non-pathotype. The genetic diversity particularly that of virulence gene profiles within O103 serogroup is likely to be broad, considering the wide range in severity of illness. However, virulence descriptions of the E. coli O103 strains isolated from cattle feces have been primarily limited to major genes, such as Shiga toxin and intimin genes. Less is known about the frequency at which other virulence genes exist or about genes associated with the mobile genetic elements of E. coli O103 pathotypes. Our objective was to utilize whole genome sequencing (WGS) to identify and compare major and putative virulence genes of EHEC O103 (positive for Shiga toxin gene, stx1, and intimin gene, eae; n = 43), EPEC O103 (negative for stx1 and positive for eae; n = 13) and putative non-pathotype O103 strains (negative for stx and eae; n = 13) isolated from cattle feces. Six strains of EHEC O103 from human clinical cases were also included. All bovine EHEC strains (43/43) and a majority of EPEC (12/13) and putative non-pathotype strains (12/13) were O103:H2 serotype. Both bovine and human EHEC strains had significantly larger average genome sizes (P < 0.0001) and were positive for a higher number of adherence and toxin-based virulence genes and genes on mobile elements (prophages, transposable elements, and plasmids) than EPEC or putative non-pathotype strains. The genome size of the three pathotypes positively correlated (R2 = 0.7) with the number of genes carried on mobile genetic elements. Bovine strains clustered phylogenetically by pathotypes, which differed in several key virulence genes. The diversity of E. coli O103 pathotypes shed in cattle feces is likely reflective of the acquisition or loss of virulence genes carried on mobile genetic elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lance W. Noll
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, United States of America
| | - Jay N. Worley
- Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition and Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Xun Yang
- Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition and Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Pragathi B. Shridhar
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, United States of America
| | - Justin B. Ludwig
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, United States of America
| | - Xiaorong Shi
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, United States of America
| | - Jianfa Bai
- Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, United States of America
| | - Doina Caragea
- Department of Computing and Information Sciences, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, United States of America
| | - Jianghong Meng
- Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition and Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
| | - T. G. Nagaraja
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Bayesian estimation of true prevalence, sensitivity and specificity of three diagnostic tests for detection of Escherichia coli O157 in cattle feces. Prev Vet Med 2017; 148:21-27. [DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2017.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2017] [Revised: 08/28/2017] [Accepted: 10/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Worley JN, Flores KA, Yang X, Chase JA, Cao G, Tang S, Meng J, Atwill ER. Prevalence and Genomic Characterization of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Cow-Calf Herds throughout California. Appl Environ Microbiol 2017; 83:e00734-17. [PMID: 28550057 PMCID: PMC5541215 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00734-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2017] [Accepted: 05/17/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Escherichia coli serotype O157:H7 is a zoonotic food- and waterborne bacterial pathogen that causes a high hospitalization rate and can cause life-threatening complications. Increasingly, E. coli O157:H7 infections appear to originate from fresh produce. Ruminants, such as cattle, are a prominent reservoir of E. coli O157:H7 in the United States. California is one of the most agriculturally productive regions in the world for fresh produce, beef, and milk. The close proximity of fresh produce and cattle presents food safety challenges on a uniquely large scale. We performed a survey of E. coli O157:H7 on 20 farms in California to observe the regional diversity and prevalence of E. coli O157:H7. Isolates were obtained from enrichment cultures of cow feces. Some farms were sampled on two dates. Genomes from isolates were sequenced to determine their relatedness and pathogenic potential. E. coli O157:H7 was isolated from approximately half of the farms. The point prevalence of E. coli O157:H7 on farms was highly variable, ranging from zero to nearly 90%. Within farms, generally one or a few lineages were found, even when the rate of isolation was high. On farms with high isolation rates, a single clonal lineage accounted for most of the isolates. Farms that were visited months after the first visit might have had the same lineages of E. coli O157:H7. Strains of E. coli O157:H7 may be persistent for months on farms.IMPORTANCE This survey of 20 cow-calf operations from different regions of California provides an in depth look at resident Escherichia coli O157:H7 populations at the molecular level. E. coli O157:H7 is found to have a highly variable prevalence, and with whole-genome sequencing, high prevalences in herds were found to be due to a single lineage shed from multiple cows. Few repeat lineages were found between farms in this area; therefore, we predict that E. coli O157:H7 has significant diversity in this area beyond what is detected in this survey. All isolates from this study were found to have pathogenic potential based on the presence of key virulence gene sequences. This represents a novel insight into pathogen diversity within a single subtype and will inform future attempts to survey regional pathogen populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jay N Worley
- Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Kristopher A Flores
- Western Center for Food Safety, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Xun Yang
- Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Jennifer A Chase
- Western Center for Food Safety, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Guojie Cao
- Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Shuai Tang
- Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Jianghong Meng
- Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Edward R Atwill
- Western Center for Food Safety, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
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Draft Genome Sequences of Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O103:H2 Strains Isolated from Feces of Feedlot Cattle. GENOME ANNOUNCEMENTS 2017; 5:5/19/e00094-17. [PMID: 28495758 PMCID: PMC5427193 DOI: 10.1128/genomea.00094-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The enterohemorrhagic pathotype represents a minor proportion of the Escherichia coli O103 strains shed in the feces of cattle. We report here the genome sequences of 43 strains of enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) O103:H2 isolated from feedlot cattle feces. The genomic analysis will provide information on the genetic diversity and virulence potential of bovine EHEC O103.
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Evaluating the efficacy of beef slaughter line interventions by quantifying the six major non-O157 Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli serogroups using real-time multiplex PCR. Food Microbiol 2017; 63:228-238. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fm.2016.11.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2016] [Revised: 11/28/2016] [Accepted: 11/30/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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47
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Puri-Giri R, Ghosh A, Thomson JL, Zurek L. House Flies in the Confined Cattle Environment Carry Non-O157 Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2017; 54:726-732. [PMID: 28399273 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjw240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2016] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Cattle manure is one of the primary larval developmental habitats of house flies, Musca domestica (L.). Cattle serve as asymptomatic reservoirs of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), and bacteria are released into the environment in cattle feces. The USDA-FSIS declared seven STEC serogroups (O157, O26, O45, O103, O145, O121, and O111) as adulterants in beef products. In addition, the serogroup O104 was a culprit of a large outbreak in Germany in 2011. Our study aimed to assess the prevalence of seven non-O157 STEC (O26, O45, O145, O103, O121, O111, and O104) serogroups in adult house flies. Flies (n = 463) were collected from nine feedlots and three dairy farms in six states in the United States and individually processed. This involved a culturing approach with immunomagnetic separation followed by multiplex polymerase chain reactions for detection of individual serogroups and virulence traits. The concentration of bacteria on modified Possé agar ranged between 1.0 × 101 and 7.0 × 107 (mean: 1.5 ± 0.3 × 106) CFU/fly. Out of 463 house flies, 159 (34.3%) carried one or more of six E. coli serogroups of interest. However, STEC was found in 1.5% of house flies from feedlots only. These were E. coli O103 and O104 harboring stx1 and ehxA and E. coli O45 with stx1, eae, and ehxA. This is the first study reporting the isolation of non-O157 STEC in house flies from the confined cattle environment and indicating a potential role of this insect as a vector and reservoir of non-O157 STEC in confined beef cattle.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Puri-Giri
- Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, 123 Waters Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506 (; ; )
| | - A Ghosh
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology, Kansas State University, 221K Mosier Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506 ( )
- Current address: Department of Biology, Pittsburg State University, 321 Heckert-Wells Hall, Pittsburg, KS 66762
| | - J L Thomson
- Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, 123 Waters Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506 (; ; )
| | - L Zurek
- Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, 123 Waters Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506 ( ; ; )
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology, Kansas State University, 221K Mosier Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506 ( )
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Hallewell J, Alexander T, Reuter T, Stanford K. Limitations of Immunomagnetic Separation for Detection of the Top Seven Serogroups of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli. J Food Prot 2017; 80:598-603. [PMID: 28334549 DOI: 10.4315/0362-028x.jfp-16-427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains are foodborne pathogens that negatively impact human health and compromise food safety. Serogroup O157 is the most frequently isolated and studied STEC serogroup, but six others (O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145) have also been identified as significant sources of human disease and collectively have been referred to as the "top six" pathogenic serogroups. Because detection methods for non-O157 serogroups are not yet refined, the objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness of immunomagnetic separation (IMS) for recovery of serogroup O157 isolates with that for each of the top six E. coli serogroups in pure and mixed cultures of STEC at 103 to 107 CFU/mL. After serogroup-specific IMS, DNA was extracted from cultured isolates to analyze the specificity of each IMS assay using conventional and quantitative PCR. In pure cultures, DNA copy number obtained after IMS was lower for O111 and O157 (P < 0.01) than for other serogroups. Based on quantitative PCR (qPCR) analyses, specificity was reduced for all IMS assays when STEC isolates were mixed at 7 log CFU/mL, although the O157 IMS assays recovered only O157 over a wider range of concentrations than did assays for non-O157 serogroups. At the lowest dilution tested, conventional PCR was specific for all serogroups except O121 and O145. For these two serogroups, no dilution tested recovered only O121 or O145 when evaluated with conventional PCR. Refinements to IMS assays, development of selective media, and determination of optimal enrichment times to reduce background microflora or competition among serogroups would be especially beneficial for recovery of O111, O121, and O145 serogroups to improve STEC detection and isolation.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Hallewell
- Agriculture and Agri-food Canada, Lethbridge Research Center, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada T1J 4P4
| | - T Alexander
- Agriculture and Agri-food Canada, Lethbridge Research Center, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada T1J 4P4
| | - T Reuter
- Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, Agriculture Centre, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada T1J 4V6 (ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8784-0042 [K.S.])
| | - K Stanford
- Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, Agriculture Centre, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada T1J 4V6 (ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8784-0042 [K.S.])
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Cull CA, Renter DG, Dewsbury DM, Noll LW, Shridhar PB, Ives SE, Nagaraja TG, Cernicchiaro N. Feedlot- and Pen-Level Prevalence of Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli in Feces of Commercial Feedlot Cattle in Two Major U.S. Cattle Feeding Areas. Foodborne Pathog Dis 2017; 14:309-317. [PMID: 28281781 DOI: 10.1089/fpd.2016.2227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The objective of this study was to determine feedlot- and pen-level fecal prevalence of seven enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) belonging to serogroups (O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, O145, and O157, or EHEC-7) in feces of feedlot cattle in two feeding areas in the United States. Cattle pens from four commercial feedlots in each of the two major U.S. beef cattle areas were sampled. Up to 16 pen-floor fecal samples were collected from each of 4-6 pens per feedlot, monthly, for a total of three visits per feedlot, from June to August, 2014. Culture procedures including fecal enrichment in E. coli broth, immunomagnetic separation, and plating on selective media, followed by confirmation through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, were conducted. Generalized linear mixed models were fitted to estimate feedlot-, pen-, and sample-level fecal prevalence of EHEC-7 and to evaluate associations between potential demographic and management risk factors with feedlot and within-pen prevalence of EHEC-7. All study feedlots and 31.0% of the study pens had at least one non-O157 EHEC-positive fecal sample, whereas 62.4% of pens tested positive for EHEC O157; sample-level prevalence estimates ranged from 0.0% for EHEC O121 to 18.7% for EHEC O157. Within-pen prevalence of EHEC O157 varied significantly by sampling month; similarly within-pen prevalence of non-O157 EHEC varied significantly by month and by the sex composition of the pen (heifer, steer, or mixed). Feedlot management factors, however, were not significantly associated with fecal prevalence of EHEC-7. Intraclass correlation coefficients for EHEC-7 models indicated that most of the variation occurred between pens, rather than within pens, or between feedlots. Hence, the potential combination of preharvest interventions and pen-level management strategies may have positive food safety impacts downstream along the beef chain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charley A Cull
- 1 Department of Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University , Manhattan, Kansas
| | - David G Renter
- 1 Department of Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University , Manhattan, Kansas
| | - Diana M Dewsbury
- 1 Department of Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University , Manhattan, Kansas
| | - Lance W Noll
- 1 Department of Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University , Manhattan, Kansas
| | - Pragathi B Shridhar
- 1 Department of Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University , Manhattan, Kansas
| | - Samuel E Ives
- 2 Department of Agricultural Sciences, College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, West Texas A&M University , Canyon, Texas
| | - Tiruvoor G Nagaraja
- 1 Department of Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University , Manhattan, Kansas
| | - Natalia Cernicchiaro
- 1 Department of Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University , Manhattan, Kansas
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50
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Chen S, Sanderson MW, Lee C, Cernicchiaro N, Renter DG, Lanzas C. Basic Reproduction Number and Transmission Dynamics of Common Serogroups of Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli. Appl Environ Microbiol 2016; 82:5612-20. [PMID: 27401976 PMCID: PMC5007764 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00815-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2016] [Accepted: 07/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Understanding the transmission dynamics of pathogens is essential to determine the epidemiology, ecology, and ways of controlling enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) in animals and their environments. Our objective was to estimate the epidemiological fitness of common EHEC strains in cattle populations. For that purpose, we developed a Markov chain model to characterize the dynamics of 7 serogroups of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, O145, and O157) in cattle production environments based on a set of cross-sectional data on infection prevalence in 2 years in two U.S. states. The basic reproduction number (R0) was estimated using a Bayesian framework for each serogroup based on two criteria (using serogroup alone [the O-group data] and using O serogroup, Shiga toxin gene[s], and intimin [eae] gene together [the EHEC data]). In addition, correlations between external covariates (e.g., location, ambient temperature, dietary, and probiotic usage) and prevalence/R0 were quantified. R0 estimates varied substantially among different EHEC serogroups, with EHEC O157 having an R0 of >1 (∼1.5) and all six other EHEC serogroups having an R0 of less than 1. Using the O-group data substantially increased R0 estimates for the O26, O45, and O103 serogroups (R0 > 1) but not for the others. Different covariates had distinct influences on different serogroups: the coefficients for each covariate were different among serogroups. Our modeling and analysis of this system can be readily expanded to other pathogen systems in order to estimate the pathogen and external factors that influence spread of infectious agents. IMPORTANCE In this paper we describe a Bayesian modeling framework to estimate basic reproduction numbers of multiple serotypes of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli according to a cross-sectional study. We then coupled a compartmental model to reconstruct the infection dynamics of these serotypes and quantify their risk in the population. We incorporated different sensitivity levels of detecting different serotypes and evaluated their potential influence on the estimation of basic reproduction numbers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi Chen
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of North Carolina Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina, USA Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Michael W Sanderson
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
| | - Chihoon Lee
- School of Business, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, New Jersey, USA Department of Statistics, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Natalia Cernicchiaro
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
| | - David G Renter
- Department of Diagnostic Medicine and Pathobiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
| | - Cristina Lanzas
- Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
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