Temporal and spatial patterns of bovine Escherichia coli O157 prevalence and comparison of temporal changes in the patterns of phage types associated with bovine shedding and human E. coli O157 cases in Scotland between 1998-2000 and 2002-2004

• Published in: BMC microbiology 2009-12, Vol.9 (1), p.276-276
• Main Authors: Pearce, Michael C, Chase-Topping, Margo E, McKendrick, Iain J, Mellor, Dominic J, Locking, Mary E, Allison, Lesley, Ternent, Helen E, Matthews, Louise, Knight, Hazel I, Smith, Alastair W, Synge, Barti A, Reilly, William, Low, J Christopher, Reid, Stuart W J, Gunn, George J, Woolhouse, Mark E J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal Husbandry; Animals; Bacterial Shedding; Bacteriophage Typing; Cattle; Cattle Diseases - epidemiology; Cattle Diseases - microbiology; Demographic aspects; Disease Reservoirs - veterinary; Distribution; E coli; Epidemiology; Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli infections; Escherichia coli Infections - epidemiology; Escherichia coli Infections - microbiology; Escherichia coli Infections - veterinary; Escherichia coli O157 - classification; Escherichia coli O157 - genetics; Health aspects; Humans; Incidence; Livestock; Prevalence; Prevalence studies (Epidemiology); Research article; Scotland - epidemiology; Studies
• ISSN: 1471-2180; 1471-2180
• DOI: 10.1186/1471-2180-9-276

Escherichia coli O157 is an important cause of acute diarrhoea, haemorrhagic colitis and, especially in children, haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS). Incidence rates for human E. coli O157 infection in Scotland are higher than most other United Kingdom, European and North American countries. Cattle are considered the main reservoir for E. coli O157. Significant associations between livestock related exposures and human infection have been identified in a number of studies. Animal Studies: There were no statistically significant differences (P = 0.831) in the mean farm-level prevalence between the two studies (SEERAD: 0.218 (95%CI: 0.141-0.32); IPRAVE: 0.205 (95%CI: 0.135-0.296)). However, the mean pat-level prevalence decreased from 0.089 (95%CI: 0.075-0.105) to 0.040 (95%CI: 0.028-0.053) between the SEERAD and IPRAVE studies respectively (P < 0.001). Highly significant (P < 0.001) reductions in mean pat-level prevalence were also observed in the spring, in the North East and Central Scotland, and in the shedding of phage type (PT) 21/28. Human Cases: Contrasting the same time periods, there was a decline in the overall comparative annual reported incidence of human cases as well as in all the major PT groups except 'Other' PTs. For both cattle and humans, the predominant phage type between 1998 and 2004 was PT21/28 comprising over 50% of the positive cattle isolates and reported human cases respectively. The proportion of PT32, however, was represented by few (