ESCHERICHIA COLI O157:H7 IN PIGS

摘要

Escherichia coli O157:H7 is an important foodborne pathogen, which is associated with cattle but not with pigs. An extensive US study in 1995 failed to detect these organisms in pigs, but the methods that were used were not very sensitive (3). Since 1997, there have been reports of isolation of E. coli O157:H7 from pigs in Chile, Japan, the Netherlands, and Norway. The percentage of pigs that were positive was high in Chile, but low in the other countries (0.1% to 1.4%). The objectives of this studywere to determine whether E. coli O157:H7 was present in the feces of growing pigs in Ontario, and to characterize the types of O157 E. coli isolated from pigs in Ontario.