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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #115918
Title: CORRELATION OF ENTEROHEMORRHAGIC ESCHERICHIA COLI O157 PREVALENCE IN FECES,HIDES, AND CARCASSES OF BEEF CATTLE DURING PROCESSING

Author
item ELDER, ROBERT - FORMER ARS EMPLOYEE
item Keen, James
item SIRAGUSA, GREGORY - FORMER ARS EMPLOYEE
item Gallagher, Genevieve
item Koohmaraie, Mohammad
item Laegreid, William

Submitted to: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/19/2000
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: A survey was performed to estimate the frequency of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 or O157:non-motile (EHEC O157) in feces and on hides within groups of fed cattle from single sources (lots) presented for slaughter at meat processing plants in the Midwestern United States, as well as frequency of carcass contamination during processing from cattle within the same lots. It was found that the numbers of animals presented for slaughter which were infected with EHEC O157 was higher than previously reported, about 28%. It was further found that an average of 43% of carcasses were contaminated by EHEC O157 but that, after antimicrobial interventions in the slaughter plants, the number of EHEC O157 positive carcasses was less than 2%. A significant correlation was found between the numbers of infected cattle and the numbers of contaminated carcasses, indicating that reducing the number of infected cattle could reduce exposure of humans to EHEC O157 from meat.

Technical Abstract: A survey was performed to estimate the frequency of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 or O157:nonmotile in feces and on hides within groups of fed cattle from single sources (lots) presented for slaughter at meat processing plants in the Midwestern United States, as well as frequency of carcass contamination during processing from cattle within the same lots. Of 29 lots sampled, 72% had at least one EHEC O157- positive fecal sample and 38% had positive hide samples. Overall, EHEC O157 prevalence in feces and on hides was 28% (91 of 327) and 11% (38 of 355), respectively. Carcass samples were taken at three points during processing: preevisceration, postevisceration before antimicrobial intervention, and postprocessing after carcasses entered the cooler. Of 30 lots sampled, 87% had at least one EHEC O157-positive preevisceration sample, 57% of lots were positive postevisceration, and 17% had positive postprocessing samples. Prevalence of EHEC O157 in the three postprocessing samples was 43% (148 of 341), 18% (59 of 332) and 2% (6 of 330), respectively. Reduction in carcass prevalence from preevisceration to postprocessing suggests that sanitary procedures were effective within the processing plants. Fecal and hide prevalence were significantly correlated with carcass contamination (P = 0.001), indicating a role for control of EHEC O157 in live cattle.