title: Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in the feces of Alberta feedlot cattle.
abstract: Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are a public health concern. Bacterial culture techniques commonly used to detect E. coli O157:H7 will not detect other STEC serotypes. Feces from cattle and other animals are a source of O157:H7 and other pathogenic serotypes of STEC. The objective of this study was to estimate the pen-level prevalence of Shiga toxins and selected STEC serotypes in pre-slaughter feedlot cattle. Composite fecal samples were cultured and a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to detect genes for Shiga toxins (stx1 and stx2) and genes for O157:H7, O111:H8, and O26:H11 serotypes. Evidence of Shiga toxins was found in 23 pens (92%), O157:H7 in 2 (8%), O111:H8 in 5 (20%), and O26:H11 in 20 (80%) of the 25 pens investigated. Although pen-level prevalence estimates for Shiga toxins and non-O157 serotypes seem high relative to O157:H7, further effort is required to determine the human health significance of non-O157 serotypes of STEC in feedlot cattle.
authors.affiliation: Agri-Food Systems Branch, Food Safety Division, Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Edmonton, Alberta. David.Renter@gov.ab.ca
authors.forename: David G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Renter
authors.forename: Sylvia L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Checkley
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: King
mesh_terms: D000416:Alberta / Q000453:epidemiology; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D019453:Escherichia coli O157 / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D015995:Prevalence; D011634:Public Health; D012703:Serotyping / Q000662:veterinary; D022622:Shiga Toxin 1 / Q000032:analysis / Q000145:classification; D022641:Shiga Toxin 2 / Q000032:analysis / Q000145:classification; D022603:Shiga Toxins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000145:classification
chemical_list: D022622:Shiga Toxin 1; D022641:Shiga Toxin 2; D022603:Shiga Toxins