ARS | Publication request: ESCHERICHIA COLI O157:H7 AND THE RUMEN ENVIRONMENT (FARM ANIMALS AS A RESERVOIR FOR ESCHERICHIA COLI O157)

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: April 7, 1998
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: Microbial interactions within the rumen are complex, intensely competitive, and known to inhibit the growth of enterobacteria. Although these facultatively anaerobic enterobacteria are in the rumen, they usually occur at relatively low population densities and are generally regarded to be transient and nongrowing. In recent years, the human pathogen, E. coli O157:H7, has forced microbiologists to reevaluate long held beliefs concerning the role of facultative anaerobes like E. coli in the rumen and other GI tract compartments. In this workshop we will discuss the following factors that may influence the relationship between E. coli O157:H7 and ruminants: 1. Resistance of virulent E. coli to the inhibitory effects of the rumen; 2. Patterns of fecal shedding after oral inoculation; 3. Cattle as a reservoir for E. coli O157:H7; 4. Differences between the rumen and hindgut; 5. Hindgut microbiology of animals that do not contain E. coli; and 6. Emergence of E. coli O157:H7 and the role of feed ingredients and additives. The goal will be to explore research objectives that lead to useful guidance on management practices that producers can implement to reduce the incidence of E. coli O157:H7 in their herds.