title: Prevalence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 on hides and faeces of ruminants at slaughter in two major abattoirs in Nigeria.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the occurrence of Escherichia coli O157: H7 in hides and faeces of slaughtered ruminants in Nigeria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total number of 320 animals were sampled from January to December covering the wet and harmattan seasons. Samples were obtained from the hides and faeces of animals at slaughter. The ISO (ISO 16654:2001, Microbiology of food and animal feedingstuffs--horizontal method for the detection of Escherichia coli O157) method for enrichment and isolation of E. coli O157 incorporating selective enrichment using modified tryptone soya broth with novobiocin (mTSBn),immunomagnetic separation and plating on sorbitol-MacConkey agar with cefixime tellurite (CT-SMAC) was used. Overall cattle had a prevalence rate of 49.4% followed by sheep and goats with rates of 6.3% and 2.5%, respectively. There was a significant difference in carriage of E. coli O157 among two different cattle breeds.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of E. coli O157: H7 is substantial from two abattoirs in the country. The carriage and shedding of E. coli O157: H7 did not differ with season but differed among groups of ruminants and among breeds of cattle in a tropical country.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first study on E. coli O157: H7 from abattoir operations in Nigeria. The study emphasizes the risk of E. coli O157: H7 along the meat chain and the need for concerted effort to limit it through best hygiene practices.
authors: Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Abuja, Abuja, Nigeria. tosinakanbi2@yahoo.co.uk
authors: B O
authors: BO
authors: Akanbi
authors: I P
authors: IP
authors: Mbah
authors: P C
authors: PC
authors: Kerry
mesh_terms: D000003:Abattoirs; D000818:Animals; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D002417:Cattle; D003470:Culture Media; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary; D019453:Escherichia coli O157 / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D006041:Goats; D018189:Immunomagnetic Separation / Q000379:methods*; D008460:Meat / Q000382:microbiology*; D009549:Nigeria; D012418:Ruminants / Q000382:microbiology*; D012756:Sheep
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media