scholarly journals Seasonal Prevalence of Shiga Toxin–Producing Escherichia coli, Including O157:H7 and Non-O157 Serotypes, and Salmonella in Commercial Beef Processing Plants†

2003 ◽  
Vol 66 (11) ◽  
pp. 1978-1986 ◽  
Author(s):  
GENEVIEVE A. BARKOCY-GALLAGHER ◽  
TERRANCE M. ARTHUR ◽  
MILDRED RIVERA-BETANCOURT ◽  
XIANGWU NOU ◽  
STEVEN D. SHACKELFORD ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Shiga Toxin ◽  
Escherichia Coli O157 ◽  
Seasonal Prevalence ◽  
Fecal Samples ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Beef Processing ◽  
Beef Carcasses ◽  
Processing Plants ◽  
Antimicrobial Interventions

The seasonal prevalence of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella, non-O157 E. coli (STEC), and stx-harboring cells was monitored at three Midwestern fed-beef processing plants. Overall, E. coli O157:H7 was recovered from 5.9% of fecal samples, 60.6% of hide samples, and 26.7% of carcasses sampled before the preevisceration wash. This pathogen also was recovered from 1.2% (15 of 1,232) of carcasses sampled at chilling (postintervention) at approximate levels of <3.0 cells per 100 cm2. In one case, the E. coli O157:H7 concentration dropped from ca. 1,100 cells per 320 cm2 at the preevisceration stage to a level that was undetectable on ca. 2,500 cm2 at the postintervention stage. The prevalence of E. coli O157:H7 in feces peaked in the summer, whereas its prevalence on hide was high from the spring through the fall. Overall, Salmonella was recovered from 4.4, 71.0, and 12.7% of fecal, hide, and preevisceration carcass samples, respectively. Salmonella was recovered from one postintervention carcass (of 1,016 sampled). Salmonella prevalence peaked in feces in the summer and was highest on hide and preevisceration carcasses in the summer and the fall. Non-O157 STEC prevalence also appeared to vary by season, but the efficiency in the recovery of isolates from stx-positive samples ranged from 37.5 to 83.8% and could have influenced these results. Cells harboring stx genes were detected by PCR in 34.3, 92.0, 96.6, and 16.2% of fecal, hide, preevisceration carcass, and postintervention carcass samples, respectively. The approximate level of non-O157 STEC and stx-harboring cells on postintervention carcasses was ≥3.0 cells per 100 cm2 for only 8 of 199 carcasses (4.0%). Overall, the prevalence of E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, and non-O157 STEC varied by season, was higher on hides than in feces, and decreased dramatically, along with pathogen levels, during processing and during the application of antimicrobial interventions. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of the current interventions used by the industry and highlight the significance of hides as a major source of pathogens on beef carcasses.

scholarly journals Escherichia coli O157 Prevalence and Enumeration of Aerobic Bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, and Escherichia coli O157 at Various Steps in Commercial Beef Processing Plants†

2004 ◽  
Vol 67 (4) ◽  
pp. 658-665 ◽  
Author(s):  
TERRANCE M. ARTHUR ◽  
JOSEPH M. BOSILEVAC ◽  
XIANGWU NOU ◽  
STEVEN D. SHACKELFORD ◽  
TOMMY L. WHEELER ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Aerobic Bacteria ◽  
Escherichia Coli O157 ◽  
Indicator Organisms ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Beef Processing ◽  
Processing Plants ◽  
Plate Counts ◽  
On Line ◽  
Antimicrobial Interventions

The effectiveness of current antimicrobial interventions used in reducing the prevalence or load of Escherichia coli O157 and indicator organisms on cattle hides and carcasses at two commercial beef processing plants was evaluated. Sponge sampling of beef cattle was performed at five locations from the initial entry of the animals to the slaughter floor to the exit of carcasses from the “hotbox” cooler. For each sample, E. coli O157 prevalence was determined and total aerobic bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, and E. coli O157 were enumerated. E. coli O157 was found on 76% of animal hides coming into the plants, but no carcasses leaving the cooler were identified as contaminated with E. coli O157. A positive relationship was seen between the incidence of E. coli O157 in hide samples and that in preevisceration samples. Aerobic plate counts and Enterobacteriaceae counts averaged 7.8 and 6.2 log CFU/100 cm2, respectively, on hides, and 1.4 and 0.4 log CFU/100 cm2, respectively, on chilled carcasses. Aerobic plate counts and Enterobacteriaceae counts on preevisceration carcasses were significantly related to the respective levels on the corresponding hides; the carcasses of animals whose hides carried higher numbers of bacteria were more likely to carry higher numbers of bacteria. Implementation of the sampling protocol described here would allow processors to evaluate the efficacy of on-line antimicrobial interventions and allow industrywide benchmarking of hygienic practices.

scholarly journals Prevalence and Characterization of Non-O157 Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli on Carcasses in Commercial Beef Cattle Processing Plants

2002 ◽  
Vol 68 (10) ◽  
pp. 4847-4852 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terrance M. Arthur ◽  
Genevieve A. Barkocy-Gallagher ◽  
Mildred Rivera-Betancourt ◽  
Mohammad Koohmaraie
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Shiga Toxin ◽  
Human Disease ◽  
The United States ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Beef Processing ◽  
Processing Plants ◽  
Antimicrobial Interventions ◽  
Reported Data ◽  
Beef Carcass

ABSTRACT Beef carcass sponge samples collected from July to August 1999 at four large processing plants in the United States were surveyed for the presence of non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC). Twenty-eight (93%) of 30 single-source lots surveyed included at least one sample containing non-O157 STEC. Of 334 carcasses sampled prior to evisceration, 180 (54%) were found to harbor non-O157 STEC. Non-O157 STEC isolates were also recovered from 27 (8%) of 326 carcasses sampled after the application of antimicrobial interventions. Altogether, 361 non-O157 STEC isolates, comprising 41 different O serogroups, were recovered. O serogroups that previously have been associated with human disease accounted for 178 (49%) of 361 isolates. Although 40 isolates (11%) carried a combination of virulence factor genes (enterohemorrhagic E. coli hlyA, eae, and at least one stx gene) frequently associated with STEC strains causing severe human disease, only 12 of these isolates also belonged to an O serogroup previously associated with human disease. Combining previously reported data on O157-positive samples (R. O. Elder, J. E. Keen, G. R. Siragusa, G. A. Barkocy-Gallagher, M. Koohmaraie, and W. W. Laegreid, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 97:2999-3003, 2000) with these data regarding non-O157-positive samples indicated total STEC prevalences of 72 and 10% in preevisceration and postprocessing beef carcass samples, respectively, showing that the interventions used by the beef-processing industry effected a sevenfold reduction in carcass contamination by STEC.

Comparison of Effects of Antimicrobial Interventions on Multidrug-Resistant Salmonella, Susceptible Salmonella, and Escherichia coli O157:H7†

2008 ◽  
Vol 71 (11) ◽  
pp. 2177-2181 ◽  
Author(s):  
TERRANCE M. ARTHUR ◽  
NORASAK KALCHAYANAND ◽  
JOSEPH M. BOSILEVAC ◽  
DAYNA M. BRICHTA-HARHAY ◽  
STEVEN D. SHACKELFORD ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Human Disease ◽  
Foodborne Pathogen ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Escherichia Coli O157 ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Beef Processing ◽  
Processing Plants ◽  
Human Illness ◽  
Antimicrobial Interventions

Several strains of Salmonella have been identified as resistant to multiple antibiotics. What is not known is whether strains possessing multidrug resistance properties also have the ability to resist the killing effects of the antimicrobial interventions used in beef processing. The research project described herein was designed to determine whether antimicrobial interventions currently in place in beef processing facilities are adequate for reducing the foodborne pathogen loads on beef carcass surfaces contaminated with multidrug-resistant (MDR) Salmonella. The data presented here indicate that MDR Salmonella is reduced at least as effectively as are Escherichia coli O157:H7 and susceptible Salmonella when treated with antimicrobial interventions currently in use at most U.S. beef processing plants. The E. coli O157:H7 strains used in this study were divided into two groups, strains that have a genetic polymorphism associated with human disease and strains not typically found to cause human disease. No differences were detected in the abilities of these two strain types to survive antimicrobial interventions. These results indicate that neither the drug resistance status of a particular Salmonella strain nor the likelihood that a particular E. coli O157:H7 strain will cause human illness influences the antimicrobial efficacy of the interventions utilized by the modern beef processing plants.

scholarly journals Genotypic Analyses of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and O157 Nonmotile Isolates Recovered from Beef Cattle and Carcasses at Processing Plants in the Midwestern States of the United States

2001 ◽  
Vol 67 (9) ◽  
pp. 3810-3818 ◽  
Author(s):  
Genevieve A. Barkocy-Gallagher ◽  
Terrance M. Arthur ◽  
Gregory R. Siragusa ◽  
James E. Keen ◽  
Robert O. Elder ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
The United States ◽  
Escherichia Coli O157 ◽  
Genomic Fingerprinting ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Beef Processing ◽  
Processing Plants ◽  
Shiga Toxin Genes ◽  
Carcass Contamination ◽  
Animal Isolates

ABSTRACT Escherichia coli O157:H7 and O157 nonmotile isolates (E. coli O157) previously were recovered from feces, hides, and carcasses at four large Midwestern beef processing plants (R. O. Elder, J. E. Keen, G. R. Siragusa, G. A. Barkocy-Gallagher, M. Koohmaraie, and W. W. Laegreid, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 97:2999–3003, 2000). The study implied relationships between cattle infection and carcass contamination within single-source lots as well as between preevisceration and postprocessing carcass contamination, based on prevalence. These relationships now have been verified based on identification of isolates by genomic fingerprinting.E. coli O157 isolates from all positive samples were analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis of genomic DNA after digestion with XbaI. Seventy-seven individual subtypes (fingerprint patterns) grouping into 47 types were discerned among 343 isolates. Comparison of the fingerprint patterns revealed three clusters of isolates, two of which were closely related to each other. Remarkably, isolates carrying both Shiga toxin genes and nonmotile isolates largely fell into specific clusters. Within lots analyzed, 68.2% of the postharvest (carcass) isolates matched preharvest (animal) isolates. For individual carcasses, 65.3 and 66.7% of the isolates recovered postevisceration and in the cooler, respectively, matched those recovered preevisceration. Multiple isolates were analyzed from some carcass samples and were found to include strains with different genotypes. This study suggests that mostE. coli O157 carcass contamination originates from animals within the same lot and not from cross-contamination between lots. In addition, the data demonstrate that most carcass contamination occurs very early during processing.

Escherichia coli O157 and non-O157 Shiga Toxin–Producing Escherichia coli in Fecal Samples of Finished Pigs at Slaughter in Switzerland

2006 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
pp. 260-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. KAUFMANN ◽  
C. ZWEIFEL ◽  
M. BLANCO ◽  
J. E. BLANCO ◽  
J. BLANCO ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Shiga Toxin ◽  
Escherichia Coli O157 ◽  
Strongly Correlated ◽  
Fecal Samples ◽  
E Coli ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Strain Testing ◽  
Typical Epec ◽  
Uremic Syndrome

Fecal samples from 630 slaughtered finisher pigs were examined by PCR to assess the shedding of Escherichia coli O157 (rfbE) and Shiga toxin–producing E. coli (STEC, stx). The proportion of positive samples was 7.5% for rfbE and 22% for stx. By colony hybridization, 31 E. coli O157 and 45 STEC strains were isolated, and these strains were further characterized by phenotypic and genotypic traits. Among E. coli O157 strains, 30 were sorbitol positive, 30 had an H type other than H7, and none harbored stx genes. Intimin (eae), enterohemolysin (ehxA), EAST1 (astA), and porcine A/E–associated protein (paa) were present in 10, 3, 26, and 6% of strains. Among them, one eae-γ1–positive O157:H7 strain testing positive for ehxA and astA and two eae-α1–positive O157:H45 strains were classified as enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC). The O157:H45 EPEC harbored the EAF plasmid and the bfpA gene, factors characteristic for typical EPEC. The isolated STEC strains (43 sorbitol positive) belonged to 11 O:H serotypes, including three previously reported in human STEC causing hemolytic uremic syndrome (O9:H−, O26:H−, and O103:H2). All but one strain harbored stx2e. The eae and ehxA genes, which are strongly correlated with human disease, were present in only one O103:H2 strain positive for stx1 and paa, whereas the astA gene was found more frequently (14 strains). High prevalence of STEC was found among finisher pigs, but according to the virulence factors the majority of these strains seem to be of low virulence.

Risk of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Non-O157 Shiga Toxin–Producing Escherichia coli, and Campylobacter spp. in Food Animals and Their Products in Qatar

2015 ◽  
Vol 78 (10) ◽  
pp. 1812-1818 ◽  
Author(s):  
HUSSNI O. MOHAMMED ◽  
KORANA STIPETIC ◽  
AHMED SALEM ◽  
PATRICK McDONOUGH ◽  
YUNG FU CHANG ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Shiga Toxin ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Campylobacter Coli ◽  
Escherichia Coli O157 ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Fecal Samples ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Cattle Feces ◽  
Campylobacter Spp

Escherichia coli O157:H7, non-O157 E. coli, and Campylobacter spp. are among the top-ranked pathogens that threaten the safety of food supply systems around the world. The associated risks and predisposing factors were investigated in a dynamic animal population using a repeat-cross-sectional study design. Animal and environmental samples were collected from dairy and camel farms, chicken processing plants, and abattoirs and analyzed for the presence of these pathogens using a combination of bacterial enrichment and real-time PCR tests without culture confirmation. Data on putative risk factors were also collected and analyzed. E. coli O157:H7 was detected by PCR at higher levels in sheep and camel feces than in cattle feces (odds ratios [OR], 6.8 and 21.1, respectively). Although the genes indicating E. coli O157:H7 were detected at a relatively higher rate (4.3%) in fecal samples from dairy cattle, they were less common in milk and udder swabs from the same animals (1 and 2%, respectively). Among the food adulterants, E. coli O103 was more common in cattle fecal samples, whereas O26 was more common in sheep feces and O45 in camel feces compared with cattle (OR, 2.6 and 3.1, respectively). The occurrence of E. coli in the targeted populations differed by the type of sample and season of the year. Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli were more common in sheep and camel feces than in cattle feces. Most of the survey and surveillance of E. coli focused on serogroup O157 as a potential foodborne hazard; however, based on the PCR results, non-O157 Shiga toxin–producing E. coli serotypes appeared to be more common, and efforts should be made to include them in food safety programs.

scholarly journals Detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella enterica in Air and Droplets at Three U.S. Commercial Beef Processing Plants†

2012 ◽  
Vol 75 (12) ◽  
pp. 2213-2218 ◽  
Author(s):  
JOHN W. SCHMIDT ◽  
TERRANCE M. ARTHUR ◽  
JOSEPH M. BOSILEVAC ◽  
NORASAK KALCHAYANAND ◽  
TOMMY L. WHEELER
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Salmonella Enterica ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Escherichia Coli O157 ◽  
Liquid Droplets ◽  
Air Samples ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Beef Processing ◽  
Processing Plants ◽  
Plate Counts

Bacteria are known to be present in the air at beef processing plants, but published data regarding the prevalences of airborne Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella enterica are very limited. To determine if airborne pathogens were present in beef processing facilities, we placed sedimentation sponges at various locations in three commercial beef plants that processed cattle from slaughter through fabrication. For the 291 slaughter area air samples, E. coli O157:H7 was isolated from 15.8% and S. enterica from 16.5%. Of the 113 evisceration area air samples, E. coli O157:H7 was isolated from only one sample and S. enterica was not isolated from any sample. Pathogens were not isolated from any of the 87 air samples from fabrication areas. Pathogen prevalences, aerobic plate counts, and Enterobacteriaceae counts were highest for air samples obtained from locations near hide removal operations. The process of hide removal disperses liquid droplets, which may contact neighboring carcasses. Samples were obtained both from hide removal locations that were close enough to hide pullers to be contacted by droplets and from locations that were not contacted by droplets. Higher pathogen prevalences, aerobic plate counts, and Enterobacteriaceae counts were observed at locations with samples contacted by the hide removal droplets. We conclude that the hide removal processes likely introduce pathogens into the air via a dispersion of liquid droplets and that these droplets may be an underappreciated source of hide-to-carcass contamination.

Effects of a Minimal Hide Wash Cabinet on the Levels and Prevalence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella on the Hides of Beef Cattle at Slaughter†

2007 ◽  
Vol 70 (5) ◽  
pp. 1076-1079 ◽  
Author(s):  
TERRANCE M. ARTHUR ◽  
JOSEPH M. BOSILEVAC ◽  
DAYNA M. BRICHTA-HARHAY ◽  
NORASAK KALCHAYANAND ◽  
STEVEN D. SHACKELFORD ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Limit Of Detection ◽  
Intervention Strategy ◽  
Medium Size ◽  
Escherichia Coli O157 ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Beef Processing ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Processing Plants

Harborage of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella on animal hides at slaughter is the main source of beef carcass contamination during processing. Given this finding, interventions have been designed and implemented to target the hides of cattle following entry into beef processing plants. Previous interventions targeting hides have not been suitable for all beef processing plants because of cost and space restrictions. In this study, a hide wash cabinet was evaluated to determine whether it was more amenable to widespread use in the beef processing industry, especially for small and medium-size plants. Overall, 101 (35.1%) of 288 beef cattle hides sampled before entry into the hide wash cabinet harbored E. coli O157:H7 at or above the limit of detection (40 CFU/100 cm2). After passage through the hide wash cabinet, only 38 (13.2%) of 288 hides had E. coli O157:H7 levels ≥40 CFU/100 cm2. Before the hide wash cabinet, 50 (17%) of 288 hides harbored E. coli O157:H7 at levels above 100 CFU/100 cm2, with one sample as high as 20,000 CFU/100 cm2. In contrast, only 14 (5%) of 288 hides had E. coli O157:H7 levels above 100 CFU/100 cm2 after hide washing, with the highest being 2,000 CFU/100 cm2. These same trends also were found for Salmonella before and after hide washing. These results indicate that the hide wash cabinet described in this study was effective and should provide small and medium-size processing plants with an affordable hide wash intervention strategy.

Source Tracking of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella Contamination in the Lairage Environment at Commercial U.S. Beef Processing Plants and Identification of an Effective Intervention†

2008 ◽  
Vol 71 (9) ◽  
pp. 1752-1760 ◽  
Author(s):  
TERRANCE M. ARTHUR ◽  
JOSEPH M. BOSILEVAC ◽  
DAYNA M. BRICHTA-HARHAY ◽  
NORASAK KALCHAYANAND ◽  
DAVID A. KING ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Gel Electrophoresis ◽  
The United States ◽  
Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis ◽  
Processing Plant ◽  
Escherichia Coli O157 ◽  
Pulsed Field ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Beef Processing ◽  
Processing Plants

Transportation from the feedlot and lairage at the processing plant have been identified as potential sources of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella hide contamination. The objective of this study was to perform a comprehensive tracking analysis of E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella associated with beef cattle from the feedlot through processing. Cattle (n = 581) were sampled in a feedlot, then transported in multiple lots to three commercial, fed beef processing plants in the United States, where they were sampled again. Samples were collected from the tractor trailers prior to loading cattle and from the lairage environment spaces prior to entry of the study cattle. Pathogen prevalence on cattle hides increased on every lot of cattle between exiting the feedlot and beginning processing. Prior to loading cattle, E. coli O157:H7 was found in 9 (64%) of 14 tractor trailers. E. coli O157:H7 was detected in over 60% of the samples from each lairage environment area, while Salmonella was detected in over 70% of the samples from each lairage environment area. E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella isolates (n 3,645) were analyzed using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. The results of the pulsed-field gel electrophoresis tracking indicate that the transfer of bacteria onto cattle hides that occurs in the lairage environments of U.S beef processing plants accounts for a larger proportion of the hide and carcass contamination than does the initial bacterial population found on the cattle exiting the feedlot. Finally, the results of this study indicate that hide wash cabinets are effective in removing contamination derived from the lairage environment.

scholarly journals Detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Shiga toxin 2a gene in pork, pig feces, and clean water at Jagalan slaughterhouse in Surakarta, Central Java Province, Indonesia

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 1584-1590
Author(s):  
Maria Kristiani Epi Goma ◽  
Alvita Indraswari ◽  
Aris Haryanto ◽  
Dyah Ayu Widiasih
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Food Safety ◽  
Shiga Toxin ◽  
Water Samples ◽  
Animal Origin ◽  
Clean Water ◽  
Escherichia Coli O157 ◽  
Fecal Samples ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Pork Samples

Background and Aim: The feasibility assessment of food products on the market becomes one of the milestones of food safety. The quality of food safety of animal origin especially pork need to get attention and more real action from the parties related and concerned. Since pork is also a source of transmission for the contagion of foodborne disease so that the study of the existence of several agents in the pork and its products become the benchmark of safety level. This study aimed to isolate, identify, and detect the Shiga toxin 2a (stx2a) gene from Escherichia coli O157:H7 in pork, pig feces, and clean water in the Jagalan slaughterhouse. Materials and Methods: A total of 70 samples consisting of 32 pork samples, 32 pig fecal samples, and 6 clean water samples were used to isolate and identify E. coli O157:H7 and the stx2a gene. Isolation and identification of E. coli O157:H7 were performed using culture on eosin methylene blue agar and Sorbitol-MacConkey agar media and confirmed molecularly with polymerase chain reaction to amplify the target genes rfbE (317 bp) and fliC (381 bp). The isolates, which were identified as E. coli O157:H7, were investigated for the stx2a gene (553 bp). Results: The results of this study show that of the total collected samples, E. coli O157:H7 was 28.6% in Jagalan slaughterhouse and consisted of 25% of pork samples, 31.25% of pig fecal samples, and 33.3% of clean water samples. The isolates that were identified to be E. coli O157:H7 mostly contained the stx2a gene, which was equal to 75%, and consisted of seven isolates from pork samples, seven isolates from fecal samples, and one isolate from clean water samples. Conclusion: E. coli O157:H7 was found in 28.6% of pork, pig feces, and clean water in Jagalan slaughterhouse and 75% of identified E. coli O157:H7 contained the stx2a gene.

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