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P2-64 Isolation, Identification and Characterization of Escherichia coli O157:H7 from Cattle in Xinjiang of China

Tuesday, August 2, 2016
America's Center - St. Louis
Zhanqiang Su, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, China
Lining Xia, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, China
Jinquan WANG, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, China
Ling Kuang, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, China
Tao Zhang, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, China
Lu Zhao, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, China
Yi Zhang, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, China
Gang Yao, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, China
Jeffrey LeJeune, The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH
Introduction: Cattle are a primary reservoir of Escherichia coli O157:H7. Preventing contamination of the food and environment with E. coli O157 are important measures to protect human health. Xinjiang, China, produces large quantities of beef, but the information about Escherichia coli O157:H7 in livestock in this part of the world are limited.

Purpose: To determine the prevalence and virulence profiles of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in beef cattle in Xinjiang Province.

Methods: A total of 901 beef cattle fecal samples were collected from beef cattle reared on 11 farms located in Western Xinjiang, China. Immunomagnetic beads, sorbitol-MacConkey (SMAC) agar and 4-methyl-umbelliferyl-beta-D-glucuronide (MUG) were used to isolate E. coli O157:H7, while PCR and biochemical tests were used for molecular characterization. Isolates were tested for stx1, stx2, eaeA, tccp and Hly genes by PCR and subtyped by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE).

Results: Escherichia coli O157.H7 was isolated from 8 of 901(0.89%) fecal samples from beef cattle in 5 of 11 herds (45.5%). Three isolates were negative for stx1 and stx2 and all other virulence genes tested. One isolate had stx1 and stx2 and the remaining four isolates were stx2 only. Two of the stx2 only isolates did not have other virulence genes. Thus, only three isolates, (one stx1+,stx2+ and two stx2+ isolates) had the complement of other virulence genes Hly+,  tccp+ and eaeA+. The eight isolates represented six different unique PFGE patterns. Three strains isolated from different herds in different regions had identical PFGE patterns.

Significance: This is the first report of E. coli O157 isolation from live cattle in far Western China. Although this finding is not surprising, it does provide important baseline data about the global epidemiology of this important foodborne pathogen and the basis for future research.

Back to: Poster Session 2 – Low-water Activity, Laboratory and Detection Methods, Epidemiology, Produce, Pre-harvest, Dairy and Beverages, Food Defense, General Microbiology
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