Fecal carriage of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and carcass contamination in cattle at slaughter in northern Italy Authors Silvia Alonso E. coli Reference Laboratory (LREC), Faculty of Veterinary, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain Department of Public Health and Animal Pathology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy Azucena Mora E. coli Reference Laboratory (LREC), Faculty of Veterinary, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain Miguel Blanco E. coli Reference Laboratory (LREC), Faculty of Veterinary, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain Jesús E. Blanco E. coli Reference Laboratory (LREC), Faculty of Veterinary, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain Ghizlane Dahbi E. coli Reference Laboratory (LREC), Faculty of Veterinary, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain María T. Ferreiro E. coli Reference Laboratory (LREC), Faculty of Veterinary, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain Cecilia López E. coli Reference Laboratory (LREC), Faculty of Veterinary, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain Leonardo Alberghini Department of Public Health and Animal Pathology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy Sabrina Albonetti Department of Public Health and Animal Pathology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy Aurora Echeita Laboratory of Bacteriology, National Microbiology Centre, Carlos III Health Institute, Madrid, Spain Marcello Trevisani Department of Public Health and Animal Pathology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy Jorge Blanco E. coli Reference Laboratory (LREC), Faculty of Veterinary, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain Keywords: Escherichia coli O157, H7, Shiga-toxins, verotoxins, phage typing, abattoir, carcass contamination Abstract Feedlot cattle slaughtered at a large abattoir in northern Italy during 2002 were examined for intestinal carriage and carcass contamination with Escherichia coli O157:H7. Carcass samples were taken following the excision method described in the Decision 471/2001/EC, and fecal material was taken from the colon of the calves after evisceration. Bacteria were isolated and identified according to the MFLP-80 and MFLP-90 procedures (Food Directorate’s Health Canada’s). Eighty-eight non-sorbitol-fermenting E. coli O157:H7 isolates were obtained from 12 of the 45 calves examined. In particular, E. coli O157:H7 isolates were found in 11 (24%) fecal and five (11%) carcass samples. PCR analysis showed that all 11 fecal samples and five carcass samples carried eae-γ1-positive E. coli O157:H7 isolates. In addition, genes encoding Shigatoxins were detected in O157:H7 isolates from nine and two of those 11 fecal and five carcasses, respectively. A representative group of 32 E. coli O157:H7 isolates was analyzed by phage typing and DNA macrorestriction fragment analysis (PFGE). Five phage types (PT8, PT32v, PT32, PT54, and PT not typable) and seven (I–VII) distinct restriction patterns of similarity > 85% were detected. Up to three different O157:H7 strains in an individual fecal sample and up to four from the same animal could be isolated. These findings provide evidence of the epidemiological importance of subtyping more than one isolate from the same sample. Phage typing together with PFGE proved to be very useful tools to detect cross-contamination among carcasses and should therefore be included in HACCP programs at abattoirs. The results showed that the same PFGE-phage type E. coli O157:H7 profile was detected in the fecal and carcass samples from an animal, and also in two more carcasses corresponding to two animals slaughtered the same day. [Int Microbiol 2007; 10(2):109-116] Author Biographies Silvia Alonso, E. coli Reference Laboratory (LREC), Faculty of Veterinary, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain Department of Public Health and Animal Pathology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy E. coli Reference Laboratory (LREC), Faculty of Veterinary, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain Department of Public Health and Animal Pathology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy Azucena Mora, E. coli Reference Laboratory (LREC), Faculty of Veterinary, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain E. coli Reference Laboratory (LREC), Faculty of Veterinary, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain Miguel Blanco, E. coli Reference Laboratory (LREC), Faculty of Veterinary, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain E. coli Reference Laboratory (LREC), Faculty of Veterinary, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain Jesús E. Blanco, E. coli Reference Laboratory (LREC), Faculty of Veterinary, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain E. coli Reference Laboratory (LREC), Faculty of Veterinary, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain Ghizlane Dahbi, E. coli Reference Laboratory (LREC), Faculty of Veterinary, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain E. coli Reference Laboratory (LREC), Faculty of Veterinary, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain María T. Ferreiro, E. coli Reference Laboratory (LREC), Faculty of Veterinary, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain E. coli Reference Laboratory (LREC), Faculty of Veterinary, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain Cecilia López, E. coli Reference Laboratory (LREC), Faculty of Veterinary, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain E. coli Reference Laboratory (LREC), Faculty of Veterinary, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain Leonardo Alberghini, Department of Public Health and Animal Pathology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy Department of Public Health and Animal Pathology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy Sabrina Albonetti, Department of Public Health and Animal Pathology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy Department of Public Health and Animal Pathology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy Aurora Echeita, Laboratory of Bacteriology, National Microbiology Centre, Carlos III Health Institute, Madrid, Spain Laboratory of Bacteriology, National Microbiology Centre, Carlos III Health Institute, Madrid, Spain Marcello Trevisani, Department of Public Health and Animal Pathology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy Department of Public Health and Animal Pathology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy Jorge Blanco, E. coli Reference Laboratory (LREC), Faculty of Veterinary, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain E. coli Reference Laboratory (LREC), Faculty of Veterinary, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain Downloads PDF Published 2010-01-26 Issue Vol. 10 No. 2 (2007) Section Research Articles License Submission of a manuscript to International Microbiology implies: that the work described has not been published before, including publication in the World Wide Web (except in the form of an Abstract or as part of a published lecture, review, or thesis); that it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere; that all the coauthors have agreed to its publication. 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