Vero cytotoxigenic Escherichia coli infection in dairy farm families.
Fecal samples from 335 dairy farm residents and 1458 cattle on 80 farms were tested for Vero cytotoxin (VT)-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC). Residents were also tested for antibodies to VT1 and O157 lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Residents and cattle on farms with VTEC-positive persons or E. coli O157:H7-positive cattle were retested. Twenty-one persons (6.3%) on 16 farms (20.8%) and 46% of cattle on 100% of the farms had VTEC in fecal samples. Human VTEC isolates included E. coli O157:H7 and 8 other serotypes, 4 of which were present in cattle on the same farms. More persons had antibodies to VT1 (41%) than to O157 LPS (12.5%). Seropositivity to O157 LPS was associated with isolation of E. coli O157:H7 on the farm (P = .022). Human VTEC infection was negatively associated with age (P < .05) and was not associated with clinical illness. Many dairy farm residents experience subclinical immunizing VTEC infections at a young age, which frequently involve non-O157 VTEC found in cattle.
Laboratory Centre for Disease Control, Health Canada, Ottawa, Canada.
J B
JB
Wilson
R C
RC
Clarke
S A
SA
Renwick
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K
Rahn
R P
RP
Johnson
M A
MA
Karmali
H
H
Lior
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D
Alves
C L
CL
Gyles
K S
KS
Sandhu
S A
SA
McEwen
J S
JS
Spika
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000032:analysis*; D002417:Cattle / Q000382:microbiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000209:etiology*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D022622:Shiga Toxin 1; D022641:Shiga Toxin 2
D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D022622:Shiga Toxin 1; D022641:Shiga Toxin 2