Antibody to Escherichia coli enterotoxin in meat-packing workers.
Meat-packing plant employees exposed to raw animal products had serological evidence of higher infection rates with heat-labile toxin producing enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (LT-EEC). In those employees with multiple sera available for study over a ten-year period, a drop in mean anti-LT-EEC titer was observed, suggesting altered ecology of or exposure to the organism during this time. Prospective studies need to be done to determine if meat-packing workers actually experience a greater incidence of LT-EEC-induced diarrheal disease.
D000328:Adult; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000276:immunology*; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007484:Iowa; D008297:Male; D008462:Meat-Packing Industry; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D004768:Enterotoxins