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ARS Home » Plains Area » Clay Center, Nebraska » U.S. Meat Animal Research Center » Meat Safety and Quality » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #144426
Title: OCCURRENCE OF STEC O157, O111, AND O26 IN LIVESTOCK AT AGRICULTURAL FAIRS IN THE UNITED STATES

Author
item Keen, James
item WITTUM, THOMAS - OHIO STATE UNIV
item DUNN, JOHN - LOUISIANA STATE UNIV
item Bono, James - Jim
item FONTENOT, MARY - LOUISIANA STATE UNIV

Submitted to: International Symposium and Workshop on Shiga Toxin ... Escherichia coli
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/28/2003
Publication Date: 6/9/2003
Citation: KEEN, J.E., WITTUM, T.E., DUNN, J.R., BONO, J.L., FONTENOT, M.E. OCCURRENCE OF STEC O157, O111, AND O26 IN LIVESTOCK AT AGRICULTURAL FAIRS IN THE UNITED STATES. INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM AND WORKSHOP ON SHIGA TOXIN ... ESCHERICHIA COLI. 2003. Abstract No. O-10.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Several European and North American human STEC O157 outbreaks have been associated with visits to agricultural fairs displaying livestock. For example, an STEC O157 outbreak in August 2002 sickened at least 82 visitors to an Oregon county fair in the western United States; infections were linked to visiting a sheep and goat exposition barn. In order to estimate STEC O157 prevalence in agricultural fair animals, we collected 2919 freshly ground-deposited fecal samples from beef cattle (n=1185), dairy cattle (n=222), pigs (n=1102), sheep (n=251), goats (n=108), and other livestock (poultry, rabbits, equids, and llamas, n=46) at 32 agricultural fairs. These included 29 small county fairs in 2 midwestern states and 3 large state fairs in both midwestern states and 1 southern state. Muscoid pest flies (blow flies, stable flies, and house flies, n=154 fly pools; approximately 8000 individual flies) were also live trapped at 19 county fairs and both midwestern state fairs. All samples were collected in summer and early fall of 2002 while the fairs were open to the public. Overall species-specific STEC O157 fecal isolation rates were: beef cattle, 13.8%; dairy cattle, 5.9%; pigs, 3.6%; sheep, 5.2%; goats, 2.8%; and other livestock, 0.0%. STEC O157 was also isolated from 7.1% of the pest fly pools. Furthermore, 44 E. coli O26 (STEC and non-STEC), 7 STEC O111, and 51 non-STEC E coli O157 were isolated from livestock fecal samples. Most E coli O26 (n=37) were from beef cattle and swine, while most STEC O111 (n=5) were from goats. STEC O157 was isolated from livestock at all 32 sampled fairs, while STEC O26 and STEC O111 were found in livestock at 11 and 2 fairs, respectively. These data suggest that STEC O157 are common among ruminants and swine at both large and small agricultural fairs in the United States.