title: Verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli in wild birds and rodents in close proximity to farms.
abstract: Wild animals living close to cattle and pig farms (four each) were examined for verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC; also known as Shiga toxin-producing E. coli). The prevalence of VTEC among the 260 samples from wild animals was generally low. However, VTEC isolates from a starling (Sturnus vulgaris) and a Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus) were identical to cattle isolates from the corresponding farms with respect to serotype, virulence profile, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis type. This study shows that wild birds and rodents may become infected from farm animals or vice versa, suggesting a possible role in VTEC transmission.
authors.affiliation: Danish Institute for Food and Veterinary Research, Copenhagen, Denmark. emn@ssi.dk
authors.forename: Eva Møller
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.forename: Marianne N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Skov
authors.forename: Jesper J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Madsen
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lodal
authors.forename: Jørgen Brøchner
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Jespersen
authors.forename: Dorte L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Baggesen
mesh_terms: D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000382:microbiology*; D001717:Birds / Q000382:microbiology; D002417:Cattle / Q000382:microbiology; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D051381:Rats / Q000382:microbiology*; D022603:Shiga Toxins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D046749:Starlings / Q000382:microbiology*; D013552:Swine / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D022603:Shiga Toxins