title: Anti-Shiga toxin immunoglobulin G antibodies in healthy South Korean slaughterhouse workers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Slaughterhouse workers are in direct contact with cattle nearly every day. The purpose of this study was to survey the presence and distribution of anti-Shiga toxin 1 (Stx1) immunoglobulin G (IgG) in slaughterhouse workers, enabling a study of the serologic response to this toxin while working in an area at high-risk of Stx-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  One thousand seven hundred and twenty-nine serum samples from healthy slaughterhouse employees were collected and surveyed by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 5 slaughterhouse positions, slaughterers had the highest distribution of anti-Stx1 IgG values by an ELISA. Based on the ELISA values, 25% (433/1729) of the workers had anti-Stx1 IgG. Slaughterers, residual products handlers, inspectors, livestock hygiene controllers, and grading testers had anti-Stx1 IgG-positive rates of 28%, 25%, 20%, 19%, and 17%, respectively. The ELISA values of anti-Stx1 IgG increased with increases in the number of years worked by slaughterers, but not by residual products handlers, inspectors, livestock hygiene controllers, or grading testers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  From these results, slaughterhouse workers are healthy and asymptomatic; slaughterers in particular are at high-risk for STEC exposure.
authors.affiliation: Division of Enteric Bacterial Infections, Center for Infectious Diseases, Korea National Institute of Health, Cheongwon-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sahyun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Kyung-Hwan
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Seung-Hak
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Seong-Han
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Bok-Kwon
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Seok-Ju
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Hyun-Sul
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Mi-Sun
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000003:Abattoirs; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D000992:Antitoxins / Q000097:blood*; D002417:Cattle; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006805:Human Experimentation; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D056910:Republic of Korea; D022621:Shiga Toxin / Q000276:immunology*; D054323:Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia coli / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000992:Antitoxins; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D022621:Shiga Toxin