title: Prevalence of Shiga toxin-encoding genes and risk factors among dairy farmers in Gyeonggi Province, Korea.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Dairy farmers perform various types of work and are in direct contact with dairy cattle nearly every day. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of Shiga toxin-encoding genes (stx) among dairy farmers and to evaluate the relationship between stx and risk factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  A questionnaire developed in-house was sent to dairy farmers in Gyeonggi Province, Korea by registered mail. Researchers obtained stool samples and identified or administered the questionnaires by interview. The stool samples were examined for stx genes by polymerase chain reaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty (3.4%) of 589 stool samples from dairy farmers were stx-positive. The distribution of stx-positive stool samples revealed an increase in Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli infection with age, duration of work, and herd size. There was no association between stx-positive stool samples and type of work. For artificial insemination, taking a shower after work was significant, and the proportion of stx-positive dairy farmers increased as taking a shower after work decreased.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hygiene-related education to include taking a shower after sessions of artificial insemination should be considered. However, the stx-positive dairy farmers were small in number and the results should be interpreted with caution.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Dongguk University College of Medicine, Gyeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Korea.
authors.forename: Ji-Hyuk
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Hyun-Sul
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Kwan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sahyun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Mi-Sun
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000383:Agriculture; D000818:Animals; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D002417:Cattle; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea; D008297:Male; D054892:Metagenome; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D022621:Shiga Toxin / Q000235:genetics*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D022621:Shiga Toxin