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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 #142726
Title: EVALUATION OF NOVEL PREHARVEST FEED AND (OR) DRINKING WATER SUPPLEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF E. COLI

Author
item Anderson, Robin
item CARR, M - ANGELO STATE UNIV
item Jung, Yong Soo
item Genovese, Kenneth - Ken
item Callaway, Todd
item Edrington, Thomas
item Elder, Robert
item Beier, Ross
item Hume, Michael
item Nisbet, David

Submitted to: International Symposium and Workshop on Shiga Toxin ... Escherichia coli
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/10/2003
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: An experiment was conducted to test the effecicacy of experimental preharvest feed or water supplements on reducing E. coli in cattle. Sixty-four finished heifers averaging 402 ± 5 (SE) kg body weight were sorted to one of eight treatments in a 2 X 4 factorial design (two drinking water treatments X four feed treatments) that was replicated four times thus achieving an n of eight animals/treatment. The water treatments (a 0X control treatment or a specially prepared 1X solution containing <2500 ppm active chlorate) were provided free choice during the last 12 hours prior to being shipped to slaughter. The feed treatments contained supplements (% of body weight) of an experimental chlorate product (EKA Chemicals Inc., Marietta, GA) at 0%, 0.01% for last day on feed, 0.01% for last 5 days on feed or 0.05% for last day on feed. An effect (P<0.05; SEM=0.40) of drinking water treatment was observed on recovery of ruminal but not fecal E. coli, with ruminal concentrations from animals provided the 1X solution alone (2.98 log10 cfu/g) being nearly 10-fold lower than from controls (3.95 log10 cfu/g). An effect (P<0.05; SEM=0.51) of feed treatment was observed on fecal but not ruminal E. coli concentrations, with fecal concentrations being reduced by as much as 200-fold from those observed in control animals (5.64 log10 cfu/g). Feed treatment reduced (P<0.05; SEM=0.16) recovery of E. coli from swabs taken from the left rump area with control concentrations (5.36 log10 cfu/swab) being 10-fold or higher than swabs collected from any of the other treatments. No adverse effects were observed on animal health or performance thus demonstrating that the preparations were safe for the animals.