title: Predictors and risk factors for the intestinal shedding of Escherichia coli O157 among working donkeys (Equus asinus) in Nigeria.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Escherichia coli are an important group of bacteria in the normal gastrointestinal system but can sometimes cause infections in domestic animals and man. Donkeys are routinely used as multipurpose animal but details of burdens of potentially infectious bacteria associated with it are limited. The prevalence and associations between intestinal shedding of E. coli O157 and animal characteristics and management factors were studied among 240 randomly selected working donkeys in north-western Nigeria.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four local government areas, of Sokoto State in north-western Nigeria were recruited in this study. A multistage randomised cluster design was used to select subjects and donkey owners within selected zones. Confirmation of infection was based on bacterial culture, isolation and biochemical test for E. coli O157 from faecal samples.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the total bacteria isolated, 203 of the 329 (61.70 per cent) were E. coli, 76 of which was E. coli serotype O157. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to examine the relation between intestinal shedding of E. coli O157 and selected variables. The analysis yielded five potential predictors of shedding: soft faeces in donkeys, Akaza and Fari ecotypes of donkey were positive predictors while maize straw as feed and sampling during the cold dry period were negative predictors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study concludes that controlling intestinal shedding of E. coli O157 among working donkeys in Nigeria is possible using the identified predictors in planning appropriate interventions to reduced human risk of infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine , Usmanu Danfodiyo University , Sokoto , Nigeria.
authors.forename: Jesse T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Jedial
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine , Usmanu Danfodiyo University , Sokoto , Nigeria.
authors.forename: Aminu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shittu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine , Usmanu Danfodiyo University , Sokoto , Nigeria.
authors.forename: Faruk M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Tambuwal
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine , Usmanu Danfodiyo University , Sokoto , Nigeria.
authors.forename: Mikail B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Abubakar
authors.affiliation: School of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Usmanu Danfodiyo University , Sokoto , Nigeria.
authors.forename: Muhammed K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Garba
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine , Ahmadu Bello University , Zaria , Nigeria.
authors.forename: Jacob P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Kwaga
authors.affiliation: Department of Production Animal Studies , University of Pretoria , Pretoria, Onderstepoort , South Africa.
authors.forename: Folorunso O
authors.initials: FO
authors.lastname: Fasina
keywords: Donkeys; Epidemiology; Escherichia coli 0157; Gastrointestinal; Modelling; Zoonoses