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ARS Home » Plains Area » College Station, Texas » Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center » Food and Feed Safety Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #289460
Title: Current and near-market intervention strategies for reducing Shiga Toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) shedding in cattle

Author
item Callaway, Todd
item Edrington, Thomas
item LONERAGAN, GUY - Texas Tech University
item CARR, M - National Cattlemen'S Beef Association (NCBA)
item Nisbet, David

Submitted to: Agriculture, Food and Analytical Bacteriology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/28/2013
Publication Date: 7/1/2013
Publication URL: https://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/57247
Citation: Callaway, T.R., Edrington, T.S., Loneragan, G.H., Carr, M.A., Nisbet, D.J. 2013. Current and near-market intervention strategies for reducing Shiga Toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) shedding in cattle. Agriculture, Food and Analytical Bacteriology. 3:103-120.

Interpretive Summary: Pre-harvest interventions to reduce E. coli O157:H7 and other shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) in cattle can reduce foodborne pathogen penetration into the food chain; however, implementation of these pre-harvest strategies does not eliminate the need for best practices in the processing plant and the food preparation environment. Recent years have seen an increase in research into developing new interventions (e.g., vaccination, DFM, chlorate, phages) and understanding what effect the microbial population and host physiology has on STEC populations in the gut of cattle. This research has resulted in several novel interventions and potential dietary additions or changes that can reduce STEC in cattle, and many of them are in or very near to entering the marketplace; however, it must be noted that the live-animal interventions must be installed in a coherent, complementary fashion to reduce pathogens as part of an integrated multiple hurdle approach that complements other post-harvest strategies to minimize pathogen contact and resultant human illnesses.

Technical Abstract: Cattle can naturally contain foodborne pathogenic bacteria such as Shiga Toxin-Producing E. coli (STEC). These foodborne pathogenic bacteria are a threat to public health through contamination of foods and water supplies. In order to reduce human exposures and resultant illnesses, research has focused in recent years on the development of live animal intervention strategies that can be applied to reduce the burden of STEC entering the food chain. This review addresses the application of interventions that have been proposed or implemented to reduce STEC in live cattle. Recent years have seen increasing development of new interventions (e.g., vaccination, DFM, chlorate, phages) and understanding what effect diet and the microbial population has on the microbial populations of the gut of cattle. This research has resulted in several novel interventions and potential dietary additions or changes that can reduce STEC in cattle, and many of them are in or very near to entering the marketplace. The live animal interventions must be designed in a coherent, complementary context as part of a multiple hurdle scheme to reduce pathogen entry into the food supply.