Longitudinal Study ofEscherichia coliO157 in a Cattle Finishing Unit

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Abstract
In a longitudinal study in a Finnish cattle finishing unit we investigated excretion and sources ofEscherichia coliO157 in bulls from postweaning until slaughter. Three groups of 31 to 42 calves were sampled in a calf transporter before they entered the farm and four to seven times at approximately monthly intervals at the farm. All calves sampled in the livestock transporter were negative forE. coliO157 on arrival, whereas positive animals were detected 1 day later. During the fattening period theE. coliO157 infection rate varied between 0 and 38.5%. The animals were also found to be shedding during the cold months.E. coliO157 was isolated from samples taken from water cups, floors, and feed passages.E. coliO157 was detected in 9.7 to 38.9% of the fecal samples taken at slaughter, while only two rumen samples and one carcass surface sample were found to be positive.E. coliO157 was isolated from barn surface samples more often when the enrichment time was 6 h than when the enrichment time was 24 h (P< 0.0001). Fecal samples taken at the abattoir had lower counts (≤0.4 MPN/g) than fecal samples at the farm (P< 0.05).E. coliO157 was isolated more often from 10-g fecal samples than from 1-g fecal samples (P< 0.0001). Most farm isolates belonged to one pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) genotype (79.6%), and the rest belonged to closely related PFGE genotypes. In conclusion, this study indicated that the finishing unit rather than introduction of new cattle was the source ofE. coliO157 at the farm and thatE. coliO157 seemed to persist well on barn surfaces.