ARS | Publication request: HOW COMMON ARE BACTERIOPHAGE IN FECES OF U.S. FEEDLOT CATTLE?

Submitted to: Society for General Microbiology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: January 8, 2005
Publication Date: April 4, 2005
Citation: Callaway, T.R., Edrington, T.S., Genovese, K.J., Keen, J.E., Anderson, R.C., Brabban, A.D., Kutter, E., Schultz, C.L., Poole, T.L., Nisbet, D.J. 2005. How common are bacteriophage in feces of U.S. feedlot cattle [abstract]? Society for General Microbiology. p. 61.

Technical Abstract: Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a food-borne pathogen of critical importance that often colonizes cattle. E. coli O157:H7 can be specifically killed by bacteriophage (bacterial viruses); and bacteriophage treatment has been suggested as a pre-harvest intervention strategy to reduce food-borne pathogens in cattle. No systematic approach to determine the incidence of anti-E. coli O157:H7 phage (AO157P) has been previously performed. Therefore the current study was designed to determine 1) the incidence of E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella and 2) the incidence of AO157P in the feces of feedlot steers in commercial feedlots in the United States. Fecal samples (n = 60) were collected from four feedlots in two Southern Great Plains states (total n = 240 fecal samples). Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 were found in 3.8% and 11.7% of the fecal samples, respectively. AO157P were found in 15% of the fecal samples. AO157P were present in all four feedlots and were found in 55% of the cattle pens. Our results indicate that anti-E. coli O157:H7 is very widespread in feedlot cattle, indicating that further research into the ecological role of bacteriophage in the gastrointestinal tract is needed.