title: High prevalence of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157 from cattle in selected regions of Japan.
abstract: The prevalence of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157 was examined in bovine faeces. EHEC O157 was isolated from the faeces of 42 (13.0%) of 324 cattle. Of the 4 farms and the facilities tested, the 3 farms and the facilities were found positive for EHEC O157. The highest isolation rate among the farms was 33.7%. The prevalence of EHEC O157 in heifers was higher than that in calves and other cattle. No cattle positive for EHEC O157 showed any clinical signs except 2 calves with diarrhea in a veterinary hospital. Almost all isolates possessed the stx gene, and Stx-positive strains carrying both stx(1) and stx(2) genes were predominant. These results indicate that EHEC O157 are distributed in bovine faeces, and that dairy and beef farms in selected regions of Japan are heavily contaminated with the organisms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epizootiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Rakuno Gakuen University, Ebetsu, Hokkaido, Japan.
authors.forename: Ayako
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ezawa
authors.forename: Fumie
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gocho
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kawata
authors.forename: Tatsufumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Naoya
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D017931:DNA Primers; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D019453:Escherichia coli O157 / Q000235:genetics*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D007841:Latex Fixation Tests; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D022621:Shiga Toxin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D022621:Shiga Toxin