Verocytotoxigenic Escherichia coli O157 in animals on public amenity premises in England and Wales, 1997 to 2007.
Authors: Pritchard G C, Smith R, Ellis-Iversen J, Cheasty T, Willshaw G A
Journal: The Veterinary record
Summary
# Editorial Summary Between 1997 and 2007, public health authorities commissioned investigations at 31 animal premises accessible to the public across England and Wales following suspected links to human VTEC O157 infections. Faecal samples from multiple species were tested using culture and PCR detection of verocytotoxin genes, revealing VTEC O157 on 61% of premises, with cattle showing the highest carriage rates (29% of samples positive), followed by sheep (24.4%), equines and pigs (12–14%), and goats (9.9%—notably lower). The isolated strains matched those causing human illness during the same period, particularly phage types 2 and 21/28, and critically, identical strains were recovered from up to six different species on single premises, indicating cross-species transmission or contamination. For equine professionals managing animals on public-facing facilities—particularly where mixed species grazing or contact occurs—these findings underscore the importance of stringent biosecurity protocols, regular monitoring of at-risk groups (young stock especially), and clear separation of species where possible to minimise zoonotic transmission risk to both animal handlers and visiting members of the public.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Horses and donkeys on public amenity premises can carry VTEC O157, with donkeys showing 14.6% positive samples; implement biosecurity measures when handling these animals
- •The presence of young cattle and adult pigs on premises significantly increases VTEC O157 risk; consider separate facilities and hygiene protocols if mixed-species operations exist
- •Phage types from animals matched those causing human illness; staff working with animals at public facilities should follow strict hygiene procedures to prevent zoonotic transmission
Key Findings
- •VTEC O157 was confirmed on 19 of 31 (61.3%) public amenity premises with animals in England and Wales between 1997-2007
- •E. coli O157 was isolated from 305 of 1715 samples (17.8%), with verocytotoxin genes detected in 98.4% of representative isolates
- •Cattle had the highest mean positive sample proportion (29.0%), followed by sheep (24.4%), donkeys (14.6%), pigs (14.3%), horses (12.3%), and goats (9.9%)
- •Phage types 2 and 21/28, commonly isolated from human cases, were predominant, with single PTs detected on 14 of 19 positive premises