Prevalence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in surface water near cattle feedlots.

Between April 2009 and July 2011, 311 surface water samples in 48 cattle feedlots distributed in an area of about 67,000 km(2) were analyzed to examine the environmental dissemination of Escherichia coli O157:H7. Samples were taken inside and outside the pens, exposed and not exposed to runoff from corrals, near the feedlots. Two types of samples were defined: (1) exposed surface waters (ESW; n=251), downstream from cattle pens; and (2) nonexposed surface waters (NESW; n=60), upstream from cattle pens.

Non-O157:H7 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in bovine rectums and surface water streams on a beef cattle farm in Argentina.

The purposes of this study were to detect non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in bovine rectums and water in a beef cattle farm in Argentina, and to determine the pathogenic potential of the circulating strains. During the study, 292 rectal swabs from healthy animals and 79 environmental water samples were collected. The rectal swabs and one loop of the Moore swabs, enriched in Escherichia coli broth for 24 h at 37°C, were streaked on MacConkey agar plates and incubated overnight at 37°C.

Escherichia coli O157 in bovine feces and surface water streams in a beef cattle farm of Argentina.

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is an important foodborne pathogen, and ruminants are recognized as the main natural reservoir. The purposes of this study were to detect E. coli O157 in bovine feces and surface water in a beef cattle farm of Gualeguaychú, Argentina; to characterize the isolates; and to establish the clonal relatedness by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis.