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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 #304365
Title: Effect of distillers feedstuffs and lasolocid on Campylobacter carriage in feedlot cattle

Author
item Anderson, Robin
item Harvey, Roger
item WICKERSHAM, TYRON - Texas A&M University
item MACDONALD, JIM - West Texas A & M University
item PONCE, CHRISTIAN - West Texas A & M University
item BROWN, MIKE - West Texas A & M University
item PINCHAK, WILLIAM - Texas Agrilife Research
item OSTERSTOCK, JASON - Texas Agrilife Research
item KRUEGER, NATHAN - Blinn College
item Nisbet, David

Submitted to: Journal of Food Protection
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/20/2014
Publication Date: 10/27/2014
Citation: Anderson, R.C., Harvey, R.B., Wickersham, T.A., Macdonald, J.C., Ponce, C.H., Brown, M., Pinchak, W.E., Osterstock, J.B., Krueger, N.A., Nisbet, D.J. 2014. Effect of distillers' feedstuffs on Campylobacter carriage in feedlot cattle. Journal of Food Protection. 77:1968-1975.

Interpretive Summary: Campylobacter are a leading bacterial cause of human foodborne illness worldwide, causing more than two million infections each year in the United States alone. Despite being limited in their ability to metabolize sugars for obtaining energy, these bacteria readily colonize the gut of food animals, such as cattle, supposedly because they can derive energy for growth by using amino acids. In the cattle industry, cattlemen often supplement diets with protein sources or feed additives that promote passage of intact amino acid nutrients to the lower gut where Campylobacter can colonize. The objectives of the present studies were to test if these protein sources or feed additives may increase intestinal carriage of Campylobacter. In two separate studies, we adapted cattle to control diets or diets formulated to contain increasing amounts of distillers’ grain feedstuffs. These distillers’ grains are common protein sources used by cattlemen. The steers in the first study were also supplemented with or without a feed additive called Lasalocid, which also is commonly used by cattlemen. Analysis of Campylobacter recoveries from gut samples collected from the animals revealed no effect of the distillers’ grain protein sources on prevalence or average concentrations of gut Campylobacter. Additionally, carriage or shedding of Campylobacter was unaffected by feeding the feed additive. These results help provide cattle producers a better understanding of how they can manage and feed their livestock so as to continue producing safe, wholesome, and affordable meat and milk for the American consumer.

Technical Abstract: Campylobacter are foodborne pathogens that can colonize the gut of food animals. Limited in their ability to ferment sugars, Campylobacter can derive energy for growth via amino acid catabolism. In cattle, dietary amino acids can be extensively catabolized in the rumen and cattlemen often supplement diets with protein sources resistant to rumen fermentation or with antibiotics that inhibit amino acid-fermenting bacteria so as to promote passage of intact amino acids to the lower gut. The objectives of the present studies were to test if supplemental distillers’ grains containing high amounts of ruminal undegradable intake protein or supplemental lasalocid may, by promoting amino acid flow to the lower bovine gut, increase intestinal carriage of Campylobacter. In study one, 10 steers were adapted to diets formulated to achieve 0 or 30% dried distiller's grains (DDG). After an initial 14 d adaptation to the basal diet, control and treated steers were fed their respective diets for 23 d, after which time they were fed supplemental lasalocid for an additional 8 d followed by 5 d withdrawal to the antibiotic. In study two, 24 steers pre-acclimated to a basal diet were adapted via 3 d periodic increases to dietary treatments formulated to achieve 0, 30, or 60% wet corn distiller's grains with solubles (WDGS). Analysis of Campylobacter recoveries from duodenal and fecal samples in study one and from fecal samples in study two revealed no effect of DDG or WDGS on prevalence or mean concentrations of duodenal or fecal Campylobacter. Results from study one indicated that colonized steers, regardless of treatment, harbored higher Campylobacter concentrations when transitioned to the basal diet than when coming off of pasture. Campylobacter carriage was unaffected by lasalocid supplementation. These results indicate that feeding distillers’ grains high in rumen undegradable intake protein or supplemental lasalocid does not contribute to increased intestinal carriage or shedding of Campylobacter spp. in fed cattle.