<I>Escherichia Coli</I> O157:H7, <I>Campylobacter Jejuni
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
927 Journal of Food Protection, Vol. 68, No. 5, 2005, Pages 927±931 Copyright Q, International Association for Food Protection Escherichia coli O157:H7, Campylobacter jejuni, and Salmonella Prevalence in Cull Dairy Cows Marketed in Northeastern Ohio KATHRYN DODSON AND JEFFREY LEJEUNE* Food Animal Health Research Program, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Ohio State University, Wooster, Ohio 44691, USA MS 04-377: Received 26 August 2004/Accepted 19 January 2005 ABSTRACT Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/jfp/article-pdf/68/5/927/1670153/0362-028x-68_5_927.pdf by guest on 26 September 2021 Preharvest management factors are predicted to impact the prevalence of foodborne pathogens in cattle sent to slaughter. We simultaneously examined the prevalence and antibiotic resistance patterns of Campylobacter jejuni, Salmonella, and Esch- erichia coli O157:H7 isolated from cull dairy cattle at two livestock auctions in northeastern Ohio. Between April and September 2002, a total of 1,026 fecal samples were collected. C. jejuni was isolated from 48 of 686 (7%) fecal samples, Salmonella was isolated from 39 of 585 (6.7%) samples, and E. coli O157:H7 was isolated from 21 of 1,026 (2.1%) samples. Of the 585 samples tested for all three pathogens, at least one pathogen was identi®ed in 86 of 585 (15%) samples. One sample was positive for both E. coli O157:H7 and C. jejuni, and ®ve samples yielded both C. jejuni and Salmonella. Size of herd of origin could be traced for 75 to 85% of samples collected. Salmonella was isolated at higher frequencies from herds larger than 60 cattle than from smaller herds (9.0 versus 3.5%, P 5 0.02). In contrast, size of herd of origin did not signi®cantly affect the E. coli O157:H7 and C. jejuni prevalence. Approximately 90% of Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 isolates were pansensitive to a panel of 16 antibiotics. Thirty-six percent of C. jejuni isolates were resistant to tetracycline. In this study, antibiotic resistance among the foodborne pathogens isolated from cull diary cattle was rare. Although size of dairy herd of origin was positively associated with Salmonella prevalence, herd size was not strongly associated with E. coli O157:H7 and C. jejuni prevalence in market dairy cattle. These results can be used to assess the food safety risks associated with the slaughter of cull dairy cattle. Foods of bovine origin are frequently implicated in preharvest management factors associated with the preva- outbreaks of the most common bacterial foodborne zoo- lence of these pathogens in dairy cattle have been identi- notic diseases in the United States, including campylobac- ®ed. Because of the trend for dairy cattle to be raised on teriosis, salmonellosis, and Escherichia coli O157:H7 in- fewer larger farms has coincided with the increased aware- fections (2). The hooves, hide, and gastrointestinal tract of ness of food safety threats in foods of bovine origin, public asymptomatically colonized cattle are considered the pri- concern has focused on large-scale farming as the source mary sites of foodborne pathogens. Empirical and theoret- of many food safety problems. The aim of this study was ical data suggest that lowering the prevalence of foodborne to assess the prevalence of three important foodborne path- pathogens on hides and in gastrointestinal tracts at the time ogens, Campylobacter jejuni, Salmonella, and E. coli O157: of slaughter will enhance the microbiological safety of the H7, harbored by individual cull dairy cattle and to deter- meat and thereby reduce the incidence of foodborne dis- mine the impact of size of herd of origin on the isolation eases in the human population (3, 9). Carriage of foodborne frequency and resistance to antibiotics commonly used in pathogens by dairy cattle intended for slaughter is of con- human and veterinary medicine. cern because approximately 17% of ground beef in the United States is derived from this source (27). The problem MATERIALS AND METHODS of pathogen contamination of the food supply is further Sample collection. Between April and September 2002 fecal compounded by the increase in antimicrobial resistance samples of approximately 25 g each were collected per rectum among foodborne pathogens isolated from meat products from 1,026 individual mature dairy cows shortly after arrival at and cases of human illness, which makes treatment dif®cult two auction facilities in northeastern Ohio. Samples were collect- (1). ed from cull cattle presented for sale on each day, up to the lab- A thorough understanding of the factors that contribute oratory daily maximum capacity of approximately 70 samples. to frequency, magnitude, duration of excretion, and molec- Samples collected during the ®rst 13 weeks of the study were ular characterization of foodborne pathogens in animals is cultured for Campylobacter spp., Salmonella, and E. coli O157: required to devise effective on-farm intervention strategies H7. Because of predicted decreasing prevalences of Salmonella, to enhance the microbiological safety of animals intended C. jejuni, and E. coli O157:H7, respectively, increasing numbers of samples were tested for each of these pathogens to maintain for slaughter. However, few scienti®cally proven speci®c an 80% power of detecting prevalence differences between large and small farms. Salmonella isolation was not attempted after * Author for correspondence. Tel: 330-263-3739; Fax: 330-2633-677; week 13, and samples were not cultured for C. jejuni after week E-mail: [email protected]. 16. Based on sales records, attempts to ascertain size of herd of 928 DODSON AND LEJEUNE J. Food Prot., Vol. 68, No. 5 origin from the previous owner were made through direct mailings to each antibiotic tested based on interpretive criteria established and personal communications. Between the two sales facilities, by Huysmans and Turnidge (8). samples were collected on a total of 34 separate sample dates: once each week for 22 weeks from one facility and 12 times from Statistical analyses. The prevalence of each pathogen was the other facility. Samples were not collected the week of 4 July recorded. Size of herd of origin was dichotomized into large herds 2002 because no sales occurred that week. Between 2 and 69 ($60 lactating cows) and small herds (,60 lactating cows) by samples were collected on any given day. dividing the samples at the median of known herd sizes. A chi- square distribution test, using a type I error rate of 0.05, was used Pathogen detection. For C. jejuni isolation, cotton-tipped to determine the signi®cance of differences in prevalence for each swabs were evenly coated with feces (approximately 0.15 g) from speci®c pathogen isolated from cattle originating from known the primary collection sample, placed in 10 ml of Campy-Thio large and small herds. A chi-square test also was used to deter- (Remel, Lenexa, Kans.) enrichment broth and incubated for 48 h mine whether resistance to each antibiotic was more frequently at 48C (20). The enriched samples were streaked for isolation on distributed among isolates from cattle originating from large rather Columbia blood agar containing vancomycin and amphotericin B than small dairy herds. Posttest power analyses were conducted (Remel) and incubated under microaerophilic conditions for an to determine the type II error rate for falsely accepting the alter- Downloaded from http://meridian.allenpress.com/jfp/article-pdf/68/5/927/1670153/0362-028x-68_5_927.pdf by guest on 26 September 2021 additional 48 h at 428C. Suspect Campylobacter colonies, based native hypothesis given a type I error of 0.05, a twofold minimum on colony morphology and color, were con®rmed as C. jejuni by difference in sample groups, and the number of samples analyzed PCR assay (25). for each pathogen. All analyses were performed using SAS for Salmonella was isolated from feces by inoculation of a 10-g Windows, version 8.0 (SAS Institute, Cary, N.C.). fecal aliquot into tetrathionate broth at a 1:10 dilution followed by incubation at 378C for 48 h. One loopful (20 ml) of tetrathion- RESULTS ate broth enrichment was plated onto a xylose-lysine-tergitol-4 The ®rst 585 fecal samples collected were cultured for (XLT4) agar plate and incubated at 378C overnight (16). From each XLT4 plate, up to three colonies with morphology typical of all three pathogens. An additional 101 samples were cul- Salmonella enterica were selected for biochemical screening (tri- tured for E. coli O157:H7 and Campylobacter. Three hun- ple sugar iron, citrate, and urea agars). One colony from each dred forty additional samples were cultured for only E. coli sample that produced an acid butt and alkaline slant with H2S O157:H7. Salmonella was isolated from 39 of 585 (6.7%) production on triple sugar iron agar, was urea negative, and was samples, C. jejuni was isolated from 48 of 686 (7%) sam- citrate positive was serogrouped using group-speci®c antisera ples, and E. coli O157:H7 was isolated from 21 of 1,026 (Becton Dickinson, Sparks, Md.). (2.1%) samples. Of the 585 samples tested for all three All 1,026 samples were cultured for E. coli O157:H7. Ten pathogens, at least one pathogen was identi®ed in 86 of grams of feces from the primary samples was inoculated into 90 585 (15%) samples. One of the 21 samples positive for E. ml of Trypticase soy broth containing ce®xime (50 ng/ml) and coli O157:H7 also was positive for C. jejuni. Five of the vancomycin (40 mg/ml) (21). Samples were enriched for 18 to 24 48 samples positive for C. jejuni also yielded Salmonella. hat378C prior to concentration of E. coli O157:H7 using im- munomagnetic separation following the manufacturer's recom- None of the 39 samples positive for Salmonella were pos- mendations for automated bead retrieval using the BeadRetriever itive for E.