title: Differing populations of endemic bacteriophages in cattle shedding high and low numbers of Escherichia coli O157:H7 bacteria in feces.
abstract: The objectives of this study were to identify endemic bacteriophages (phages) in the feedlot environment and determine relationships of these phages to Escherichia coli O157:H7 from cattle shedding high and low numbers of naturally occurring E. coli O157:H7. Angus crossbred steers were purchased from a southern Alberta (Canada) feedlot where cattle excreting ≥ 10(4) CFU · g(-1) of E. coli O157:H7 in feces at a single time point were identified as supershedders (SS; n = 6), and cattle excreting <10(4) CFU · g(-1) of feces were identified as low shedders (LS; n = 5). Fecal pats or fecal grabs were collected daily from individual cattle for 5 weeks. E. coli O157:H7 in feces was detected by immunomagnetic separation and enumerated by direct plating, and phages were isolated using short- and overnight-enrichment methods. The total prevalence of E. coli O157:H7 isolated from feces was 14.4% and did not differ between LS and SS (P = 0.972). The total prevalence of phages was higher in the LS group (20.9%) than in the SS group (8.3%; P = 0.01). Based on genome size estimated by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and morphology determined by transmission electron microscopy, T4- and O1-like phages of Myoviridae and T1-like phage of Siphoviridae were isolated. Compared to T1- and O1-like phages, T4-like phages exhibited a broad host range and strong lytic capability when targeting E. coli O157:H7. Moreover, the T4-like phages were more frequently isolated from feces of LS than SS, suggesting that endemic phages may impact the shedding dynamics of E. coli O157:H7 in cattle.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hallewell
authors.affiliation: Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Y D
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Niu
authors.affiliation: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Munns
authors.affiliation: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: McAllister
authors.affiliation: Public Health Agency of Canada, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: Département de Microbiologie, Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: H-W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Ackermann
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.affiliation: Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada kim.stanford@gov.ab.ca.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stanford
mesh_terms: D000416:Alberta; D000818:Animals; D058491:Bacterial Load; D057138:Bacterial Shedding; D002417:Cattle; D003090:Coliphages / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D019453:Escherichia coli O157 / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000821:virology*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D017900:Myoviridae / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000648:ultrastructure; D017906:Siphoviridae / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014771:Virion / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral
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