This study was conducted to investigate the presence of Escherichia (E.) coli O157 and E. coli O157:H7 and stx1 and stx2 genes on cattle carcasses and in rectal samples collected from Samsun Province of Turkey. A total of 200 samples collected from cattle carcasses and the rectal contents of 100 slaughtered cattle from two commercial abattoirs were tested using the immunomagnetic separation technique and multiplex PCR methods. E. coli O157 and E. coli O157:H7 were detected in 52 of the 200 samples (26%) tested. Of the positive samples, 49 were E. coli O157 and three were E. coli O157:H7. The E. coli O157 strain was isolated from 24 carcasses and 25 rectal samples, while E. coli O157:H7 was isolated from two carcasses and one rectal sample. Of the 49 samples positive for E. coli O157, 32 were from the rectal and carcass samples of the same animal, while two E. coli O157:H7 isolates were obtained from rectal swabs and carcasses of the same animal. The stx1 and stx2 genes were both detected in 35 E. coli O157 isolates and one E. coli O157:H7 isolate, but the stx2 gene was only detected alone in two E. coli O157 isolates. Overall, 16 carcasses tested positive for E. coli O157 and one carcass tested positive for E. coli O157:H7 based on both carcass and rectal samples. Overall, the results of this study indicate that cattle carcasses pose a potential risk to human health due to contamination by E. coli O157 and E. coli O157:H7 in the feces.
Abattoirs ; Animals ; Cattle ; Escherichia coli O157/*genetics/isolation & purification ; *Immunomagnetic Separation ; Meat/microbiology ; *Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Rectum/microbiology ; Shiga Toxin 1/*genetics ; Shiga Toxin 2/*genetics ; Turkey

A total of 156 Shiga-like toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) were isolated from fecal samples of Korean native (100/568, 18%) and Holstein dairy cattle (56/524, 11%) in Korea between September 2010 and July 2011. Fifty-two STEC isolates (33%) harbored both of shiga toxin1 (stx1) and shiga toxin2 (stx2) genes encoding enterohemolysin (EhxA) and autoagglutinating adhesion (Saa) were detected by PCR in 83 (53%) and 65 (42%) isolates, respectively. By serotyping, six STEC from native cattle and four STEC from dairy cattle were identified as O-serotypes (O26, O111, O104, and O157) that can cause human disease. Multilocus sequence typing and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns highlighted the genetic diversity of the STEC strains and difference between strains collected during different years. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests showed that the multidrug resistance rate increased from 12% in 2010 to 42% in 2011. Differences between isolates collected in 2010 and 2011 may have resulted from seasonal variations or large-scale slaughtering in Korea performed to control a foot and mouth disease outbreak that occurred in early 2011. However, continuous epidemiologic studies will be needed to understand mechanisms. More public health efforts are required to minimize STEC infection transmitted via dairy products and the prevalence of these bacteria in dairy cattle.
Animals ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology ; Cattle/microbiology ; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field/veterinary ; Escherichia coli Infections/epidemiology/microbiology/*veterinary ; Female ; Genes, Bacterial/genetics ; Latex Fixation Tests/veterinary ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests/veterinary ; Multilocus Sequence Typing/veterinary ; Prevalence ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Shiga Toxin 1/genetics ; Shiga Toxin 2/genetics ; *Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia coli/drug effects/genetics

A multiplex loop-mediated isothermal amplification (mLAMP) assay was developed for simultaneous detection of the stx1 and stx2 genes and applied for detection of shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in cattle farm samples. Two target genes were distinguished based on T m values of 85.03 +/- 0.54degrees C for stx1 and 87.47 +/- 0.35degrees C for stx2. The mLAMP assay was specific (100% inclusivity and exclusivity), sensitive (with a detection limit as low as 10 fg/microL), and quantifiable (R 2 = 0.9313). The efficacy and sensitivity were measured to evaluate applicability of the mLAMP assay to cattle farm samples. A total of 12 (12/253; 4.7%) and 17 (17/253; 6.7%) STEC O157, and 11 (11/236; 4.7%) non-O157 STEC strains were isolated from cattle farm samples by conventional selective culture, immunomagnetic separation, and PCR-based culture methods, respectively. The coinciding multiplex PCR and mLAMP results for the types of shiga toxin revealed the value of the mLAMP assay in terms of accuracy and rapidity for characterizing shiga toxin genes. Furthermore, the high detection rate of specific genes from enrichment broth samples indicates the potential utility of this assay as a screening method for detecting STEC in cattle farm samples.
Animals ; Cattle ; Cattle Diseases/epidemiology/microbiology ; Escherichia coli Infections/epidemiology/microbiology/*veterinary ; Feces/microbiology ; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction/veterinary ; Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques/*veterinary ; Shiga Toxin 1/*genetics/isolation & purification ; Shiga Toxin 2/*genetics/isolation & purification ; Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia coli/*genetics/isolation & purification

Escherichia (E.) coli serotype O157:H7 is a globally distributed human enteropathogen and is comprised of microorganisms with closely related genotypes. The main reservoir for this group is bovine bowels, and infection mainly occurs after ingestion of contaminated water and food. Virulence genetic markers of 28 O157:H7 strains were investigated and multilocus enzyme electrophoresis (MLEE) was used to evaluate the clonal structure. O157:H7 strains from several countries were isolated from food, human and bovine feces. According to MLEE, O157:H7 strains clustered into two main clonal groups designated A and B. Subcluster A1 included 82% of the O157:H7 strains exhibiting identical MLEE pattern. Most enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) O157:H7 strains from Brazil and Argentina were in the same MLEE subgroup. Bovine and food strains carried virulence genes associated with EHEC pathogenicity in humans.
Animals ; Argentina/epidemiology ; Brazil/epidemiology ; Cattle ; Cattle Diseases/epidemiology/*microbiology ; Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli/genetics/*isolation & purification/pathogenicity ; Escherichia coli O157/*genetics/*isolation & purification/pathogenicity ; Food Microbiology ; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial/physiology ; Genetic Markers ; Humans ; Polymerase Chain Reaction/veterinary ; Shiga Toxin 1/genetics/metabolism ; Shiga Toxin 2/genetics/metabolism ; Virulence