title: Survival of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in the rhizosphere of maize grown in waste-amended soil.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess whether the persistence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in soil amended with cattle slurry and ovine stomach content waste is affected by the presence of a maize rhizosphere.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cattle slurry and ovine stomach content waste were inoculated with E. coli O157:H7. Wastes were then applied to soil cores with and without established maize plants. The pathogen survived in soil for over 5 weeks, although at significantly greater numbers in soil receiving stomach content waste in comparison to cattle slurry. Persistence of the pathogen in soil was unaffected by the presence of a rhizosphere.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Other factors may be more influential in regulating E. coli O157:H7 persistence in waste-amended soil than the presence or absence of a rhizosphere; however, waste type did have significant affect on the survival of E. coli O157:H7 in such soil.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Escherichia coli O157:H7 can be present within animal-derived organic wastes that are routinely spread on land. Introduced measures with regards to such waste disposal may decrease exposure to the organism; however, the persistence of E. coli O157:H7 for considerable periods in waste-amended soil may still pose some risk for both human and animal infection. This study has shown that whilst survival of E. coli O157:H7 in waste-amended soil is not significantly affected by the presence or absence of a maize rhizosphere; it may vary significantly with waste type. This may have implications for land and waste management.
authors.affiliation: School of Agricultural and Forest Sciences, University of Wales, Bangor, Gwynedd, UK. afpe6a@bangor.ac.uk
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Avery
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Killham
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Jones
mesh_terms: D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D018533:Biomass; D002417:Cattle; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004787:Environmental Pollution; D052918:Environmental Restoration and Remediation / Q000379:methods; D019453:Escherichia coli O157 / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000382:microbiology; D012722:Sewage; D012756:Sheep; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D003313:Zea mays / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D012722:Sewage