COMPARING AND CONTRASTING THE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF SHEDDING OF ESCHERICHIA COL1O157 AND CAMPYLOBACTER SPP. ON UK DAIRY FARMS

摘要

Targeted interventions at the farm level may be an effective means of reducing human exposure to Campylobacter spp. and E. coli O157. The epidemiology of shedding of E. coli 0157 and /or Campylobacter spp. from freshly voided cattle faecal samples wascompared. The molecular epidemiology and the relationship between multilevel risk factors and isolation of E. coli 0157 and Campylobacter spp. from faecal samples was explored. There were several similarities in the epidemiology of these two pathogens.Within each farm, the weaned management group was associated with the highest levels of shedding and the relationship between age and the risk of shedding appeared to be very similar for both organisms. Cattle on farms that shared similar strains of E. coli 0157 also shared similar strains of C.jejuni. Previous studies have suggested that dietary manipulation may be a potential on-farm intervention for reducing shedding of either Campylobacter spp. or E. coli 0157 in cattle, but factors affecting shedding of both organisms have rarely been explored.