Bacteria inhibitory to Escherichia coli O157:H7 were isolated from cattle and evaluated for their potential for reducing carriage of E. coli O157:H7 in calves. Eighteen of 1,200 bacterial isolates from cattle feces and intestinal tissue samples were screened and determined to inhibit the growth of E. coli O157:H7 in vitro. Seventeen of the isolates were E. coli and one was Proteus mirabilis. No...

Agricultural fairs exhibiting livestock are increasingly implicated in human Shiga-toxigenic Escherichia coli O157:H7 (STEC O157:H7) outbreaks. To estimate livestock STEC O157:H7 prevalence at US fairs, we collected 2,919 fecal specimens at 29 county fairs in 2 states and at 3 state fairs in 2002. Fly pools were also collected. STEC O157:H7 was isolated from livestock at 31 (96.9%) of 32 fairs,...

Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a potentially fatal foodborne pathogen with a putative reservoir for human infection in feedlot cattle. In order to more effectively identify targets for intervention strategies, we aimed to (1) assess the role of various feedlot habitats in E. coli O157:H7 propagation and (2) provide a framework for examining the relative contributions of animals and the surrounding...

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7 is an important foodborne pathogen worldwide. In Turkey, little is known about the molecular characteristics of STEC O157:H7 isolates. The aim of this study was to examine the genetic diversity of STEC O157:H7 isolates from cattle in Turkey using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). A total of 18 STEC O157:H7 strains were isolated from 5...

This study characterized the types of interactions between Escherichia coli O157:H7 and spinach phylloepiphytic bacteria and identified those that influence persistence of E. coli O157:H7 on edible plants. A total of 1512 phylloepiphytic bacterial isolates were screened for their ability to inhibit or to enhance the growth of E. coli O157:H7 in vitro and on spinach leaf surfaces. Fifteen differ...

Escherichia coli O157:H7 is an important food-borne pathogen. Often E. coli O157:H7 is difficult to detect, because it is present sporadically at very low levels together with very high levels of competitor organisms which can be difficult to distinguish phenotypically. Cultural methods are time-consuming and give variable results in the detection of E. coli O157:H7. This study examined the per...

Ruminant animals are carriers of Escherichia coli O157:H7, and the transmission of E. coli O157:H7 from cattle to the environment and to humans is a concern. It is unclear if diet can influence the survivability of E. coli O157:H7 in the gastrointestinal system or in feces in the environment. Feces from cattle fed bromegrass hay or corn silage diets were inoculated with E. coli O157:H7, and the...

Two murine monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) (2B7 and 46E9-9) reactive with the H7 flagellar antigen of Escherichia coli were produced and characterized. A total of 217 E. coli strains (48 O157:H7, 4 O157:NM, 23 O157:non-H7, 22 H7:non-O157, and 120 non-O157:nonH7), 17 Salmonella serovars, and 29 other gram-negative bacteria were used to evaluate the reactivities of the two MAbs by indirect enzyme-li...

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 infection causes several hundred cases of food poisoning every year in Japan. In severe cases, this type of food poisoning can be fatal. In the present study, we examined the induction of HSP70 in E. coli O157:H7 cells at various temperatures and the thermotolerance of E. coli O157:H7 cells alone and in contaminated food following pre-heating. We evalu...