title: Isolation, prevalence, and risk factors for infection by shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in dairy cattle.
abstract: Rectal swabs of 198 Holstein × Gir crossbred beef cattle from 34 milk farms in the central west of Brazil were analyzed from August 2010 to February 2011. Strains of shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) were isolated from 72.73% (144/198) of the animals, on over 97% of the surveyed properties. The molecular characterization indicated the most common toxin gene stx1 in 70.88% of the animals (202/285), followed by 18.95% (54/285) stx1/sxt2, and 10.18% (29/285) stx2. The presence of STEC in animals together with the probable risk factors based on a questionnaire was evaluated in the owners of the evaluated animals. Results showed that the animal category "calves" and production/technification scale "low" of the farm were related to high STEC prevalence in cattle. The season did not significantly affect the presence of STEC in cattle. The STEC strains are considered a major pathogen, causing severe and potentially lethal diseases in humans such as hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome. This high prevalence of STEC in dairy cattle poses a significant risk to public health, since these microorganisms can contaminate products intended for human consumption, e.g., water, raw and pasteurized milk, meat products, dairy products, and/or products of plant origin.
authors: Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Campus Jataí, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Rodovia BR 364, Km 192 no 3.800 - Pq. Industrial, Caixa Postal 03, CEP 75801-615, Jataí, GO, Brazil, marcosferreiravet@gmail.com.
authors: Marcos Roberto Alves
authors: MR
authors: Ferreira
authors: Edismauro Garcia
authors: EG
authors: Freitas Filho
authors: Jefferson Fernando Naves
authors: JF
authors: Pinto
authors: Márcia
authors: M
authors: Dias
authors: Cecília Nunes
authors: CN
authors: Moreira
mesh_terms: D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D003612:Dairying; D003625:Data Collection; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D015995:Prevalence; D011634:Public Health; D012307:Risk Factors; D012621:Seasons; D054323:Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D037521:Virulence Factors