This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Heuvelink, A. E.
Right arrow Articles by Monnens, L. A. H.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Heuvelink, A. E.
Right arrow Articles by Monnens, L. A. H.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, April 1998, p. 878-882, Vol. 36, No. 4
0095-1137/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Isolation and Characterization of Verocytotoxin-Producing Escherichia coli O157 Strains from Dutch Cattle and Sheep

A. E. Heuvelink,1,2,* F. L. A. M. van den Biggelaar,3 E. de Boer,3 R. G. Herbes,4 W. J. G. Melchers,1 J. H. J. Huis In 't Veld,5 and L. A. H. Monnens2

Departments of Medical Microbiology1 and Pediatrics,2 University Hospital Nijmegen, 6500 HB Nijmegen, Inspectorate for Health Protection, Food Inspection Service, 7200 GN Zutphen,3 Veterinary Public Health Inspectorate, 6800 DR Arnhem,4 and Department of the Science of Food of Animal Origin, Utrecht University, 3508 TD Utrecht,5 The Netherlands

Received 29 August 1997/Accepted 4 December 1997

In the periods from July to November 1995 and 1996, fecal samples from Dutch cattle and sheep were collected at the main slaughterhouses of The Netherlands, located at different geographic sites. The samples were examined for the presence of verocytotoxin (VT)-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC) of serogroup O157. E. coli O157 strains could be isolated from 57 (10.6%) of 540 adult cattle, 2 (0.5%) of 397 veal calves, 2 (3.8%) of 52 ewes, and 2 (4.1%) of 49 lambs. Immunomagnetic separation with O157-specific-antibody-coated beads appeared to be significantly more sensitive than conventional plating for detection of the organism in feces. With the exception of two isolates from adult cattle which appeared to be negative for VT genes, all animal isolates were positive for both VT (VT1 and/or VT2) and E. coli attaching-and-effacing gene sequences, and therefore, they were regarded as potential human pathogens. Although genomic typing by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis revealed a wide variety of distinct restriction patterns, comparison of the 63 animal isolates with 33 fecal O157 VTEC strains previously isolated from humans with the diarrhea-associated form of the hemolytic-uremic syndrome by their phage types and VT genotypes showed a marked similarity between animal and human isolates: 30 (90.9%) of the 33 human isolates appeared to be of E. coli O157 strain types also isolated from cattle and sheep. It was concluded that Dutch cattle and sheep are an important reservoir of E. coli O157 strains that are potentially pathogenic for humans.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Departments of Medical Microbiology and Pediatrics, University Hospital Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Phone: 31-24-3614356. Fax: 31-24-3540216. E-mail: A.Heuvelink{at}ckskg.azn.nl.

Journal of Clinical Microbiology, April 1998, p. 878-882, Vol. 36, No. 4
0095-1137/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Chase-Topping, M. E., McKendrick, I. J., Pearce, M. C., MacDonald, P., Matthews, L., Halliday, J., Allison, L., Fenlon, D., Low, J. C., Gunn, G., Woolhouse, M. E. J. (2007). Risk Factors for the Presence of High-Level Shedders of Escherichia coli O157 on Scottish Farms. J. Clin. Microbiol. 45: 1594-1603 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Gyles, C. L. (2007). Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli: An overview. J ANIM SCI 85: E45-E62 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Ragione, R. M. L., Best, A., Clifford, D., Weyer, U., Johnson, L., Marshall, R. N., Marshall, J., Cooley, W. A., Farrelly, S., Pearson, G. R., Woodward, M. J. (2006). Influence of colostrum deprivation and concurrent Cryptosporidium parvum infection on the colonization and persistence of Escherichia coli O157 : H7 in young lambs.. J Med Microbiol 55: 819-828 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • La Ragione, R M, Ahmed, N M., Best, A, Clifford, D, Weyer, U, Cooley, W A, Johnson, L, Pearson, G R, Woodward, M J (2005). Colonization of 8-week-old conventionally reared goats by Escherichia coli O157 : H7 after oral inoculation. J Med Microbiol 54: 485-492 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Pearce, M. C., Fenlon, D., Low, J. C., Smith, A. W., Knight, H. I., Evans, J., Foster, G., Synge, B. A., Gunn, G. J. (2004). Distribution of Escherichia coli O157 in Bovine Fecal Pats and Its Impact on Estimates of the Prevalence of Fecal Shedding. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 70: 5737-5743 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Mora, A., Blanco, M., Blanco, J. E., Alonso, M. P., Dhabi, G., Thomson-Carter, F., Usera, M. A., Bartolome, R., Prats, G., Blanco, J. (2004). Phage Types and Genotypes of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 Isolates from Humans and Animals in Spain: Identification and Characterization of Two Predominating Phage Types (PT2 and PT8). J. Clin. Microbiol. 42: 4007-4015 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • O'Flynn, G., Ross, R. P., Fitzgerald, G. F., Coffey, A. (2004). Evaluation of a Cocktail of Three Bacteriophages for Biocontrol of Escherichia coli O157:H7. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 70: 3417-3424 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Corona-Barrera, E., Smith, D. G.E., La, T., Hampson, D. J., Thomson, J. R. (2004). Immunomagnetic separation of the intestinal spirochaetes Brachyspira pilosicoli and Brachyspira hyodysenteriae from porcine faeces. J Med Microbiol 53: 301-307 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Chern, E. C., Tsai, Y.-L., Olson, B. H. (2004). Occurrence of Genes Associated with Enterotoxigenic and Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli in Agricultural Waste Lagoons. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 70: 356-362 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Blanco, M., Blanco, J. E., Mora, A., Rey, J., Alonso, J. M., Hermoso, M., Hermoso, J., Alonso, M. P., Dahbi, G., Gonzalez, E. A., Bernardez, M. I., Blanco, J. (2003). Serotypes, Virulence Genes, and Intimin Types of Shiga Toxin (Verotoxin)-Producing Escherichia coli Isolates from Healthy Sheep in Spain. J. Clin. Microbiol. 41: 1351-1356 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Blanco, J., Blanco, M., Blanco, J. E., Mora, A., Gonzalez, E. A., Bernardez, M. I., Alonso, M. P., Coira, A., Rodriguez, A., Rey, J., Alonso, J. M., Usera, M. A. (2003). Verotoxin-Producing Escherichia coli in Spain: Prevalence, Serotypes, and Virulence Genes of O157:H7 and Non-O157 VTEC in Ruminants, Raw Beef Products, and Humans. Exp. Biol. Med. 228: 345-351 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Lahti, E., Ruoho, O., Rantala, L., Hanninen, M.-L., Honkanen-Buzalski, T. (2003). Longitudinal Study of Escherichia coli O157 in a Cattle Finishing Unit. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 69: 554-561 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • COOKSON, A. L., WALES, A. D., ROE, J. M., HAYES, C. M., PEARSON, G. R., WOODWARD, M. J. (2002). Variation in the persistence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in experimentally inoculated 6-week-old conventional lambs. J Med Microbiol 51: 1032-1040 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Avery, S. M., Liebana, E., Reid, C.-A., Woodward, M. J., Buncic, S. (2002). Combined Use of Two Genetic Fingerprinting Methods, Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis and Ribotyping, for Characterization of Escherichia coli O157 Isolates from Food Animals, Retail Meats, and Cases of Human Disease. J. Clin. Microbiol. 40: 2806-2812 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Barkocy-Gallagher, G. A., Arthur, T. M., Siragusa, G. R., Keen, J. E., Elder, R. O., Laegreid, W. W., Koohmaraie, M. (2001). Genotypic Analyses of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and O157 Nonmotile Isolates Recovered from Beef Cattle and Carcasses at Processing Plants in the Midwestern States of the United States. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 67: 3810-3818 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • WALES, A. D., PEARSON, G. R., SKUSE, A. M., ROE, J. M., HAYES, C. M., COOKSON, A. L., WOODWARD, M. J. (2001). Attaching and effacing lesions caused by Escherichia coli O157:H7 in experimentally inoculated neonatal lambs. J Med Microbiol 50: 752-758 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Cornick, N. A., Booher, S. L., Casey, T. A., Moon, H. W. (2000). Persistent Colonization of Sheep by Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Other E. coli Pathotypes. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 66: 4926-4934 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Pradel, N., Livrelli, V., De Champs, C., Palcoux, J.-B., Reynaud, A., Scheutz, F., Sirot, J., Joly, B., Forestier, C. (2000). Prevalence and Characterization of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Isolated from Cattle, Food, and Children during a One-Year Prospective Study in France. J. Clin. Microbiol. 38: 1023-1031 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Oswald, E., Schmidt, H., Morabito, S., Karch, H., Marches, O., Caprioli, A. (2000). Typing of Intimin Genes in Human and Animal Enterohemorrhagic and Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli: Characterization of a New Intimin Variant. Infect. Immun. 68: 64-71 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Menge, C., Wieler, L. H., Schlapp, T., Baljer, G. (1999). Shiga Toxin 1 from Escherichia coli Blocks Activation and Proliferation of Bovine Lymphocyte Subpopulations In Vitro. Infect. Immun. 67: 2209-2217 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Heuvelink, A. E., van den Biggelaar, F. L. A. M., Zwartkruis-Nahuis, J. T. M., Herbes, R. G., Huyben, R., Nagelkerke, N., Melchers, W. J. G., Monnens, L. A. H., de Boer, E. (1998). Occurrence of Verocytotoxin-Producing Escherichia coli O157 on Dutch Dairy Farms. J. Clin. Microbiol. 36: 3480-3487 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Elder, R. O., Keen, J. E., Siragusa, G. R., Barkocy-Gallagher, G. A., Koohmaraie, M., Laegreid, W. W. (2000). From the Cover: Correlation of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157 prevalence in feces, hides, and carcasses of beef cattle during processing. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 97: 2999-3003 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»