Whole genome sequence analyses-based assessment of virulence potential and antimicrobial susceptibilities and resistance of Enterococcus faecium strains isolated from commercial swine and cattle probiotic products.

Enterococcus faecium is one of the more commonly used bacterial species as a probiotic in animals. The organism, a common inhabitant of the gut of animals and humans, is a major nosocomial pathogen responsible for a variety infections in humans and sporadic infections in animals. In swine and cattle, E.

Draft Genome Sequences of Salmonella enterica subsp. Serotype IIIb_61:I,v:1,5,(7) Strains Isolated from Wheat Grains.

subsp. serotypes are primarily involved in reptile-associated salmonellosis in humans. Here, we report the draft genome sequences of three subsp.

Identification, Shiga toxin subtypes and prevalence of minor serogroups of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in feedlot cattle feces.

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) are foodborne pathogens that cause illnesses in humans ranging from mild to hemorrhagic enteritis with complications of hemolytic uremic syndrome and even death. Cattle are a major reservoir of STEC, which reside in the hindgut and are shed in the feces, a major source of food and water contaminations. Seven serogroups, O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, O145 and O157, called 'top-7', are responsible for the majority of human STEC infections in North America.

Multiplex PCR Assays for the Detection of One Hundred and Thirty Seven Serogroups of Shiga Toxin-Producing Associated With Cattle.

carrying prophage with genes that encode for Shiga toxins are categorized as Shiga toxin-producing (STEC) pathotype. Illnesses caused by STEC in humans, which are often foodborne, range from mild to bloody diarrhea with life-threatening complications of renal failure and hemolytic uremic syndrome and even death, particularly in children. As many as 158 of the total 187 serogroups of are known to carry Shiga toxin genes, which makes STEC a major pathotype of .

Associations Between Season, Processing Plant, and Hide Cleanliness Scores with Prevalence and Concentration of Major Shiga Toxin-Producing on Beef Cattle Hides.

The objectives of this study were (1) to estimate the prevalence and concentration of the seven major Shiga toxin-producing (STEC) serogroups (O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, O145, and O157), collectively called STEC-7, on cattle hides collected in different seasons and beef processing plants; and (2) to determine associations of season, plant, and hide cleanliness scores with the prevalence and concentration of STEC-7. A total of 720 hide surface samples (240/season) were collected over three seasons (summer and fall 2015 and spring 2016) from beef cattle carcasses in four commercial processing plants in the United States. Samples were subjected to selective culture and spiral plating methods.

Analysis of virulence potential of Escherichia coli O145 isolated from cattle feces and hide samples based on whole genome sequencing.

Escherichia coli O145 serogroup is one of the big six non-O157 Shiga toxin producing E. coli (STEC) that causes foodborne illnesses in the United States and other countries. Cattle are a major reservoir of STEC, which harbor them in their hindgut and shed in the feces.

Quantification of Bacteria Indicative of Fecal and Environmental Contamination from Hides to Carcasses.

Fecal bacteria, which reside in the gastrointestinal tract of cattle, can contaminate beef carcasses during processing. In beef cattle slaughter plants, the presence and concentrations of generic , coliforms, (EB), and total aerobic bacteria are monitored as indicator organisms of fecal and environmental contamination. The objectives of this study were as follows: (1) to determine the concentrations of generic , coliforms, EB, and aerobic bacteria on beef carcasses at different processing points in Midwestern commercial beef slaughter plants during the summer, spring, and fall seasons; and (2) to estimate bacterial transfer on carcasses during the hide removal and evisceration processes.

DNA Microarray-Based Genomic Characterization of the Pathotypes of Escherichia coli O26, O45, O103, O111, and O145 Isolated from Feces of Feedlot Cattle .

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) serogroups O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145, referred to as the top six non-O157 serogroups, are responsible for more than 70% of human non-O157 STEC infections in North America. Cattle harbor non-O157 strains in the hindgut and shed them in the feces. The objective of this study was to use the U.

Bayesian estimation of sensitivity and specificity of culture- and PCR-based methods for the detection of six major non-O157 Escherichia coli serogroups in cattle feces.

Non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (non-O157 STEC, O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145) are foodborne pathogens of public health importance. Culture and PCR-based methods have been developed for the detection of these serogroups in cattle feces. The objectives of this study were to evaluate diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of PCR- and culture-based methods for the detection of the six non-O157 serogroups, and to estimate their true prevalence in cattle feces, using a Bayesian latent class modeling approach that accounts for conditional dependence among the three methods.

Detection and Quantification of Seven Major Serogroups of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli on Hides of Cull Dairy, Cull Beef, and Fed Beef Cattle at Slaughter.

Dehiding during beef cattle processing can introduce fecal contaminants, including Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), from hides onto carcass surfaces, creating the potential for contaminated beef. Fecal shedding of major STEC serogroups (O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, O145, and O157; STEC-7) may differ among cattle populations, yet no study has been conducted to isolate STEC-7 on hides of multiple cattle types on the same production days at the same processing plant. Our objective was to estimate and compare prevalence and concentrations of STEC-7 on hides of cull dairy, cull beef, and fed beef cattle from the same date and processing plant.

Validation and Application of a Real-Time PCR Assay Based on the CRISPR Array for Serotype-Specific Detection and Quantification of Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Cattle Feces.

Several real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) assays have been developed for detection and quantification of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in complex matrices by targeting genes for serogroup-specific O-antigen ( rfbE), H7 antigen, and one or more major virulence factors (Shiga toxin and intimin). A major limitation of such assays is that coamplification of H7 and virulence genes in a sample does not signal association of those genes with the O157 serogroup. Clusters of regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) polymorphisms are highly correlated with certain enterohemorrhagic E.

DNA microarray-based assessment of virulence potential of Shiga toxin gene-carrying Escherichia coli O104:H7 isolated from feedlot cattle feces.

Escherichia coli O104:H4, a hybrid pathotype reported in a large 2011 foodborne outbreak in Germany, has not been detected in cattle feces. However, cattle harbor and shed in the feces other O104 serotypes, particularly O104:H7, which has been associated with sporadic cases of diarrhea in humans. The objective of our study was to assess the virulence potential of Shiga toxin-producing E.

Genetic Analysis of Virulence Potential of O104 Serotypes Isolated From Cattle Feces Using Whole Genome Sequencing.

O104:H4, a Shiga toxin-producing hybrid pathotype that was implicated in a major foodborne outbreak in Germany in 2011, has not been detected in cattle. However, serotypes of O104, other than O104:H4, have been isolated from cattle feces, with O104:H7 being the most predominant. In this study, we investigated, based on whole genome sequence analyses, the virulence potential of O104 strains isolated from cattle feces, since cattle are asymptomatic carriers of O104.

Comparative genomics reveals differences in mobile virulence genes of Escherichia coli O103 pathotypes of bovine fecal origin.

Escherichia coli O103, harbored in the hindgut and shed in the feces of cattle, can be enterohemorrhagic (EHEC), enteropathogenic (EPEC), or putative non-pathotype. The genetic diversity particularly that of virulence gene profiles within O103 serogroup is likely to be broad, considering the wide range in severity of illness. However, virulence descriptions of the E.

Draft Genome Sequences of O104 Strains of Bovine and Human Origin.

Cattle harbor and shed in their feces several O104 serotypes. All O104 strains examined were intimin negative and belonged to the B1 phylogroup, and some were Shiga toxigenic. We report here the genome sequences of bovine O104:H7 ( = 5), O104:H23 ( = 2), O104:H8 ( = 1), and O104:H12 ( = 1) isolates and human clinical isolates of O104:H7 ( = 5).

Draft Genome Sequences of Enteropathogenic O103 Strains Isolated from Feces of Feedlot Cattle.

Enteropathogenic (EPEC) pathotype represents a minor proportion of O103 strains shed in the feces of feedlot cattle. The draft genome sequences of 13 strains of EPEC O103 are reported here. The availability of the genome sequences will help in the assessment of genetic diversity and virulence potential of bovine EPEC O103.

Draft Genome Sequences of Enterohemorrhagic O103:H2 Strains Isolated from Feces of Feedlot Cattle.

The enterohemorrhagic pathotype represents a minor proportion of the O103 strains shed in the feces of cattle. We report here the genome sequences of 43 strains of enterohemorrhagic (EHEC) O103:H2 isolated from feedlot cattle feces. The genomic analysis will provide information on the genetic diversity and virulence potential of bovine EHEC O103.

Spiral Plating Method To Quantify the Six Major Non-O157 Escherichia coli Serogroups in Cattle Feces.

Cattle are a major reservoir of the six major Shiga toxin-producing non-O157 Escherichia coli (STEC) serogroups (O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145) responsible for foodborne illnesses in humans. Besides prevalence in feces, the concentrations of STEC in cattle feces play a major role in their transmission dynamics. A subset of cattle, referred to as super shedders, shed E.

Feedlot- and Pen-Level Prevalence of Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli in Feces of Commercial Feedlot Cattle in Two Major U.S. Cattle Feeding Areas.

The objective of this study was to determine feedlot- and pen-level fecal prevalence of seven enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) belonging to serogroups (O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, O145, and O157, or EHEC-7) in feces of feedlot cattle in two feeding areas in the United States. Cattle pens from four commercial feedlots in each of the two major U.S.

Escherichia coli O104 in Feedlot Cattle Feces: Prevalence, Isolation and Characterization.

Escherichia coli O104:H4, an hybrid pathotype of Shiga toxigenic and enteroaggregative E. coli, involved in a major foodborne outbreak in Germany in 2011, has not been detected in cattle feces. Serogroup O104 with H type other than H4 has been reported to cause human illnesses, but their prevalence and characteristics in cattle have not been reported.

A Four-Plex Real-Time PCR Assay, Based on rfbE, stx1, stx2, and eae Genes, for the Detection and Quantification of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli O157 in Cattle Feces.

Several real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays have been developed to detect and quantify Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7, but none have targeted the O-antigen specific gene (rfbEO157) in combination with the three major virulence genes, stx1, stx2, and eae. Our objectives were to develop and validate a four-plex, quantitative PCR (mqPCR) assay targeting rfbE(O157), stx1, stx2, and eae for the detection and quantification of STEC O157 in cattle feces, and compare the applicability of the assay to detect STEC O157 to a culture method and conventional PCR (cPCR) targeting the same four genes. Specificity of the mqPCR assay to differentially detect the four genes was confirmed with strains of O157 and non-O157 STEC with different profiles of target genes.

A Comparison of Culture- and PCR-Based Methods to Detect Six Major Non-O157 Serogroups of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli in Cattle Feces.

Culture-based methods to detect the six major non-O157 (O26, O45, O103, O111, O121 and O145) Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) are not well established. Our objectives of this study were to develop a culture-based method to detect the six non-O157 serogroups in cattle feces and compare the detection with a PCR method.

Summer and Winter Prevalence of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, O145, and O157 in Feces of Feedlot Cattle.

The United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service has declared seven Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) serogroups (O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, O145, and O157) as adulterants in raw, nonintact beef products. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of these seven serogroups and the associated virulence genes (Shiga toxin [stx1, stx2], and intimin [eae]) in cattle feces during summer (June-August 2013) and winter (January-March 2014) months. Twenty-four pen floor fecal samples were collected from each of 24 cattle pens, in both summer and winter months, at a commercial feedlot in the United States.