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Ecology of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Commercial Dairies in Southern Alberta

¹ Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Agriculture Centre, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada T1J 4V6
² Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Research Centre, Summerland, British Columbia, Canada V0H 1Z0
³ Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Research Centre, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada T1J 4B1

Corresponding author: K. Stanford; e-mail: kim.stanford{at}gov.ab.ca.

Shedding of Escherichia coli O157:H7 was monitored monthly over a 1-yr period by collecting pooled fecal pats (FECAL) and manila ropes orally accessed for 4 h (ROPE) from multiple pens of cattle in 5 commercial dairies in southern Alberta, Canada. Using immunomagnetic separation, E. coli O157:H7 was isolated from cows on 4 of the dairies and from 13.5% of FECAL and 1.1% of ROPE samples. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis of XbaI- and SpeI-digested bacterial DNA of the 65 isolates produced 23 unique restriction endonuclease digestion patterns, although 92% of the isolates belonged to 3 restriction endonuclease digestion pattern clusters sharing a minimum 90% homology. Collection of positive isolates was 15 times more likely from June through September. Across dairies, peak somatic cell count occurred in July, August, September, and November. The likelihood of positive isolates was 2.6 times higher in calves and heifers compared with mature cows. This study indicates that ROPE would be of little value for the detection of E. coli O157:H7 in dairy herds unless oral contact with ROPE could be increased in mature animals. Additionally, mitigation strategies for E. coli O157:H7 should be targeted to the months of July, August, and September and toward immature animals for maximum impact. All farms displayed unique combinations of seasonality of shedding and diversity of E. coli O157:H7 subtypes. The fact that seasonal prevalence of E. coli O157:H7 largely coincided with peak somatic cell count within climatically controlled dairy barns suggests that similar environmental factors may be enhancing fecal shedding E. coli O157:H7 and the incidence of mastitis.

Key Words: Escherichia coli O157:H7 • dairy cattle • dairy cattle environment • foodborne pathogen

Abbreviation key: FECAL = pooled fecal pats, REPC = restriction endonuclease digestion cluster, ROPE = orally accessible manila rope.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				Y. D. Niu, T. A. McAllister, Y. Xu, R. P. Johnson, T. P. Stephens, and K. Stanford Prevalence and Impact of Bacteriophages on the Presence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Feedlot Cattle and Their Environment Appl. Envir. Microbiol., March 1, 2009; 75(5): 1271 - 1278. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. Stanford, R. Silasi, T. A. McAllister, and K. S. Schwartzkopf-Genswein Behavior of feedlot cattle affects voluntary oral and physical interactions with manila ropes J Anim Sci, January 1, 2009; 87(1): 296 - 303. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]