# Presentation: 236101

## Keeping Foodborne Pathogens Down on the Farm

- Michael P. Doyle

## Leading Bacteriological Causes of Foodborne Illness in USA 

*Campylobacter jejuni*  -  est. 2 million cases/yr
- Principal vehicles  -  poultry, unpasteurized milk
*Salmonella *sp.  -  est. 1.5 million cases/yr
- Principal vehicles  -  eggs, poultry, beef, pork, produce
*E. coli* O157:H7  -  est. 60,000 cases/yr
- Principal vehicles  -  cattle (handling) and beef, produce, water (recreational and drinking)

## Transmission of Foodborne Pathogens

*Campylobacter jejuni* and *Salmonella* sp.
- Carried in intestinal tract of poultry and other animals
- Fecal contamination of skin during grow out and processing
*Salmonella enteritidis*
- Colonize ovarian tissue of poultry
- Internal contents of eggs are       contaminated

## Transmission of Foodborne Pathogens

*E. coli* O157:H7
- Carried in intestinal tract of cattle
- Direct or indirect contact with cattle manure is likely most frequent origin
- Manure can contaminate food through:
- .	Use of manure as a soil fertilizer
- .	Polluted irrigation water
- .	Defecation of cattle in vicinity of produce or
-       foods of animal origin

## Prevalence of Risk Factors for Foodborne Illnesses in the General Population

- Approximately 7,500 adults in CA, CT, GA, MN and OR were interviewed by telephone between July 1996 and June 1997
- 30% ate pink hamburger
- 18% ate running eggs
- 1.9% ate raw shellfish
- 1.5% drank raw milk
- 7% did not wash cutting board after cutting raw chicken
- 7% did not wash their hands after handling raw meat or poultry
- B. Shiferaw et al.  J. Food Protect.  63:1538 (2000)

## Risk Factors for Sporadic Campylobacter Infections in the United States

**Case-control study of 6 FoodNet sites from Jan 98 - Mar 99 involving 1463 patients with *****Campylobacter *****infection and 1317 controls**
**Risk factors include:**
**Foreign travel**
**Eating undercooked poultry**
**Eating chicken or turkey cooked outside the home**
**Eating nonpoultry meat cooked outside the home**
**Eating raw seafood**
**Drinking raw milk**
**Living on or visiting a farm**
**Contact with farm animals**
**Contact with puppies**
**C. Friedman et al.  Abstr. Int Conf Emerg Infect Dis 2000 No. 63.  P. 149-150**

## Risk Factors for Fluoroquinolone-Resistant Campylobacter Infections

- Case-control study of 7 FoodNet sites from 1998-99
- 94 of 858 (11%) isolates from *Campylobacter *infections were fluoroquinolone-resistant
- Risk factors include:
- Eating chicken or turkey cooked at a commercial establishment
- Storing raw chicken in refrigerator without plate to catch drippings
- Travel outside the United States
- H. Kassenborg et al.  Abstr. Int Conf Emerg Infect Dis 2000 No. 63, P. 150

## Risk Factors Associated with Sporadic Cases of E. coli O157:H7 Infection in U.S.

- Eating undercooked ground beef
- Visiting a farm
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1998

## Risk Factors Associated with E. coli O157:H7 Infections in Scotland

- 1. Handling / preparing raw food (40%)
- 2. Involved in gardening / garden play  (36%)
- 3. Lived on / visited farm  (20%)
- 4. Direct / indirect contact with animal manure (17%)
- 5. Private water supplies (12%)
- 6. Recent failures with high coliform counts of        water supplies (12%)
- J. E. Coda et al., J. Infect.  36:317, 1998

## Risk Factor Associated with E. coli O157:H7 Infections in Sweden

- Risk Factor
- Contact with farm animals and farms
- Swedish Government Recommendations
- Between June 1 to October 31, farmers with cattle, sheep or goats should avoid:
- Visits to animal houses by unauthorized people, especially children under the age of 5 avoid contact with cattle
- Consuming unpasteurized milk and dairy products
- Contact between grazing animals and humans sunbathing on nearby beaches
- B. de Jong, Smittskydd  4:48, 1998

##  Risk Factor Associated with Shiga Toxin-Producing E. coli Infections in Canada

- Determined spatial relationship between livestock density and human STEC       incidence
- Based on 3001 cases of STEC (>95%        *E. coli* O157:H7) infection from 1990 -       95 in Ontario, Canada

-  Michel et al.  Epidemiol. Infect.  122:193 (1999)

## Risk Factors Associated with STECInfections in Canada

- Results:
- Areas with high incidence of STEC cases were      situated predominantly in areas of mixed agriculture  (high in rural areas compared to urban areas)
- Cattle density had a positive association with     incidence of STEC cases
- Elevated risk of STEC infection in rural populations associated with living in areas with high cattle density

## Risk Factors Associated with STECInfections in Canada

- Conclusions:
- Importance of contact with cattle and cattle manure likely has been previously underestimated as a risk factor for STEC infections

## Calf to Human Transmission of E. coli O157:H7

- 1.	13-month-old boy hospitalized with bloody diarrhea in October 1992; lived on dairy farm in SW Ontario
- 	-	*E. coli* O157:H7 phagetype 23 isolated from stool
- 2.	Boy placed on straw between calves while mother did barn chores
- 	-	Boy frequently touched calves and put his fingers in their mouths and his
- 3.	Fecal culture of 1 of 7 calves tested positive from *E. coli* O157:H7 phagetype 23
-  Renwick et al.  J. Infect. Dis.  168:792 (1993)

## E. coli O157:H7 Transmissionvia a Dog

- 1.  Three-year-old U.K. girl developed *E. Coli*
-      O157:H7 infection after petting a dog at a farm
-      visitor center
- 2.  Girl had no other contact with animals or dirt
- 3.  An identical strain of O157:H7 was recovered
-      from cattle on the farm
- Parry et al. 1995.  Lancet 346:8974

## E. coli O157:H7 Infection from Vegetables

- 1.	39-year-old lacto-ovo-vegetarian woman in Maine had *E. coli* O157:H7 infection
- 2.	She lived on a farm and her diet consisted almost exclusively of vegetables from her garden
- 	- Garden fertilized with manure from calf and cow
- 3.	*E. coli* O157:H7 was isolated manured soil from the garden
- Cieslak et al., Lancet 342:367 (1993)

## Outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 Infections Associated with Farm Visits

- 51 cases of *E. coli* O157:H7 infection associated with visiting a petting farm in Pennsylvania during Sept-Nov 2000
- 16 patients hospitalized, 8 with HUS
- Case-control study identified physical contact with cattle as major risk factor (OR = 10.94)
- Hand washing before eating was protective (OR = 0.23)
- O157:H7 isolates from humans, 27 of 216 (13%) cattle and a handrailing all had same PFGE profile
- Household survey estimated that 7,000 people developed diarrhea associated with visiting the farm
- J. A. Crump et al.  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2001)

## The Manure Glut:  A Growing Environmental Threat

- Five tons of animal manure is produced annually nationwide for every person living in the United   States
- The amount of animal manure is 130 times greater than the amount of human waste produced
- Cattle, hogs, chickens and turkey produced an estimated 1.36 billion tons of manure in 1997
- Democratic Staff of U.S. Senate Agriculture
- Committee (1998) “Animal Waste Pollution in America:
- An Emerging National Problem”

## The U.S. Manure Glut (1997 estimates)

- 		Animal			Solid Waste (Tons/yr)
- 		Cattle			  1,229,190,000
- 		Hogs				     112,652,300
- 		Chickens			       14,394,000
- 		Turkeys			         5,425,000
- 		     TOTAL			      1.36 billion

## Prevalence of Campylobacter in Manure

- Cattle manure
- Beef cattle at slaughter 	89% prevalence
- Poultry manure
- Chickens and turkeys	80-100% prevalence  						(depending on flock)
- Sheep manure
- Sheep at slaughter		high prevalence

## Prevalence of Salmonella in Manure

- Cattle manure    -   10 to 25% of samples
- Poultry manure  -   29% of samples

## Prevalence of E. coli O157:H7 in Manure 

- Cattle manure
- Weaned dairy calves			5%
- Unweaned dairy calves		2%
- Cattle at slaughter		  13-28%

## Reported Levels of Pathogens in Animal Manures

- Pathogen				Animal
- 				Cattle		Poultry		Sheep
- 					  (CFU or Oocysts/g)
*Campylobacter*	104  - 108	 104  - 107	up to 105
*Salmonella*	       up to 108  - 1010	 104  - 107 	no information
*E. coli* O157:H7	102  - 105	          —		108
*Cryptosporidium     * 105  - 1010   	       —		107

## Fate of Salmonella in Cattle Manure

- 	Storage
- Temperature			Decimal Reduction Time
- 	   (oC)					     (Days)
- 		  4					      13-20
- 		20					        9-25
- 		37					        2-8
- S. Himathongkham et al.  FEMS Microbiol Lett 178:251 (1999)

## Survival of E. coli O157:H7 in Bovine Feces

-   Detected by
-   enrichment

- 37oC
- 
- 22oC
- 
-   5oC
- 

## Survival of E. coli O157:H7 inSheep Manure

- Manure pile (7 m long by 3 m wide by 0.6 m deep) collected from sheep experimentally administered *E. coli *O157:H7; held undisturbed (not aerated) for 21 months
- O157 isolated consistently for 12 months (except for November) from middle and bottom moist layers but not from dry feces at top
- O157:H7 counts ranged from <102 to 2.2 x 106 cfu/g
- O157 detected in 1 of 24 manure samples at 21 months

- I. T. Kudva et al.  Appl. Environ. Microbiol.  64:3166 (1998)

## E. coli O157:H7 Infection Associatedwith Well Water and Infected Cattleon a Dairy Farm

- 16-month old child from dairy farm hospitalized with bloody diarrhea
*E. coli* O157:H7 isolated from:
- Child's stool
- 63% of cattle on the farm
- Well water
- Well water was contaminated with cattle manure
- S. G. Jackson et al., Epidemiol. Infect.  120:17, 1998

## Lake-Associated Outbreak ofE. coli O157:H7 Infection

- 1.	12 cases of *E. coli* O157:H7 infection during     June - July 1995 in Illinois
- 2.	Acquired infection by swimming in a lake at an Illinois State Park
- 	-	Case-control study revealed that risk for  		illness was associated with taking lake water 		into the mouth and swallowing lake water
- CDC, Morbid. Mortal. Weekly Rep.  45(21):437 (May 31, 1996)

## Association of E. coli O157:H7 with Water

- Drinking and recreational (swimming)      waters have been identified as vehicles of      *E. coli* O157
- Sources of contamination include:
- Cattle manure seeping into well water      or lakes
- Children defecating in a lake and swimming pool

## Survival of E. coli O157:H7 in Water

*E. coli* O157 can survive for a long period of     time in water, especially at cold temperatures
- Survival for more than 13 weeks in water at 8EC, with only a 10-to-100-fold reduction
- Precautions should be taken when using  lake or river waters for drinking or recreational purposes

## Association of E. coli O157:H7 with Deer

- During July - August 1997, 310 fresh deer fecal samples collected from ground at 5 Georgia wildlife management areas
- No isolations of *E. coli* O157:H7
- J. R. Fischer et al., University of Georgia

## Association of E. coli O157:H7 with Deer

- During autumn 1997, 371 fecal samples    collected directly from hunter-killed deer at 6 Georgia wildlife management areas
*E. coli* O157:H7 isolated from 3 deer
- All from deer in NW Georgia in vicinity of cattle
- Two different PFGE DNA fingerprints
- J. R. Fischer et al., University of Georgia

## Association of E. coli O157:H7 with Deer

- During autumn 1998, 140 fecal samples    collected directly from hunter-killed deer at        NW Georgia location in vicinity of cattle
- No isolations of *E. coli* O157:H7
- During same time period, 231 fecal samples collected directly from cattle present in          vicinity of deer
*E. coli* O157:H7 isolated from 12 (5.2%) cattle
- J. R. Fischer et al., University of Georgia

## Public Health Issues Associated Human Pathogens Carried by Animals

- Contaminated food from animals
- Meat, eggs, milk
- Contaminated food that contacts animal waste
- Vegetables and fruit grown in soil fertilized with   animal manure or treated with irrigation water         with animal waste
- Contaminated water containing animal waste
- Untreated drinking water and swimming in  recreational lakes

## Methods of Control for E. coli O157

- Low infectious dose of *E. coli* O157 necessitates    reducing or eliminating pathogen, rather than solely preventing its growth
- HACCP system most effective approach for reducing     risk of *E. coli* O157 infections
- Most desirable HACCP system includes a step that   kills pathogens
- For raw foods that do not receive a terminal kill treatment, HACCP systems must be implemented throughout food continuum, from farm to table

## Where Must Food Safety Begin?

- Solutions are complex but must begin at the farm
- Food producers must consider and treat their products as foods rather than as commodities

##  Intervention or Control Points

- Food Producers
- 	Examples of CP’s for preharvest foods
- Probiotics and competitive exclusion bacteria
- Use of beneficial microorganisms that prevent colonization or eliminate pathogens from         animals used for food products
- Bacteriophage
- Innovative vaccines
- Dietary and feeding practices

## Control of E. coli O157:H7 in Cattle by Competitive Exclusion Bacteria

- Competitive exclusion involves use of microbial cultures that out-compete pathogens from colonizing specific niches
- Principal sites of *E. coli* O157 localization in cattle are the animal’s three forestomachs and the large intestine
- Isolates of *E. coli* that produce antimicrobials to *E. coli* O157 and localize in the same sites of bovine GI tract as *E. coli* O157 can eliminate or reduce carriage of *E. coli* O157 in ruminating calves

## Recovery of E. coliO157:H7 at necropsy (13 to 27 days postinoculation) from experimentally infected calves

- 				No.		Range		        Meana
- Sample	     	         positive/	         (CFU/gram)	    (CFU/gram)
-    Site		            total	            contents 	       contents
- Rumen			9 / 9	<0.5 X 101 - 3.2 X 103	       3.8 X 102
- Recticulum		7 / 9	<0.5 X 101 - 2.5 X 103	       4.1 X 102
- Omasum		9 / 9	<0.5 X 101 - 2.5 X 103	       2.9 X 102
- Abomasum		0 / 9		    0			0
- Duodenum		2 / 9	         <0.5 X 101                            <0.5 X 101
- Ileum			4 / 9	<0.5 X 101 - 4.0 X 101	       1.4 X 101
- Distal cecum		7 / 9	<0.5 X 101 - 2.5 X 101	       0.8 X 101
- Spiral colon		7 / 9	<0.5 X 101 - 6.3 X 102           1.2 X 102
- Descending 		5 / 9	<0.5 X 101 - 2.5 X 102	       6.8 X 101
-    colon

## Protocol

- 20 adult steers (weight 980-1160 lbs) were fed production diet containing monensin (30g/ton)
- Each administered by gavage 1010 *E. coli* O157 (5-strain mixture) at day 0
- 10 steers administered at 48 and 72 h post-challenge 1010 probiotic *E. coli* (3 strains)
*E. coli* O157 and probiotic bacteria fecal shedding monitored until day 33

## E. coli O157:H7 (log CFU/g) in feces of cattle administered E. coli O157:H7 only

## E. coli O157:H7 (log/g) at necropsy (day 33) in cattle administered E. coli O157:H7 only

- Steer No.

-  Rumen

- content

- Rumen

- tissue

- Colon

- content

- Colon

- tissue

- Feces

-   1

-   4

-   5

-   8

- 11

- 13

- 16

- 17

- 21

- 24

-   3.6

-   1.5

- <1.1

-   3.1

- <1.1

- <1.1

- <1.1

-   3.4

- <1.1

- <1.1

-   3.1

-   1.5

-   1.1

-   2.6

-   1.2

-   1.5

-   2.5

-   1.9

-   1.5

-   1.2

-  4.8

-   1.6

- <2.4

-   4.9

- <1.1

-   2.4

- <1.1

-   1.2

-   1.4

-   1.4

-   5.0

- <2.4

- <2.4

-   5.2

-   4.3

-   4.8

-   3.4

- <2.4

-   3.1

- <2.4

-   5.1

-   1.3

- <1.1

-   5.7

- <1.1

- <1.1

- <1.1

- <1.1

-   1.0

- <1.1

## E. coli O157:H7 (log/g) in feces of cattle administered E. coli O157:H7 and probiotic bacteria

-   Steer No.

-  Day 2

- Day 12

- Day 21

- Day 30

-   2

-   3

-   6

-   7

-   9

- 10

- 15

- 18

- 20

- 22

- 4.7

- 4.7

- 4.9

- 3.6

- 5.5

- 5.3

- 4.4

- 3.4

- 3.7

- 5.0

- <1.1

- <1.1

- <1.1

- <1.1

- <1.1

- <1.1

- <1.1

- <1.1

- <1.1

- <1.1

- <2.4

- <2.4

-   2.1

- <2.4

- <2.4

- <2.4

- <2.4

- <2.4

- <2.4

- <1.1

- <1.1

- <1.1

- <1.1

- <1.1

- <1.1

- <1.1

- <2.4

- <1.1

- <2.4

- <1.1

## E. coli O157:H7 (log/g) at necropsy (day 33) in cattle administered E. coli O157:H7 and probiotic bacteria 

- Steer No.

-  Rumen

- content

-  Rumen

- tissue

-  Colon

-  content

- Colon

-  tissue

- Feces

-   2

-   3

-   6

-   7

-   9

- 10

- 15

- 18

- 20

- 22

- <1.1

-   2.5

- <1.1

- <1.1

- <1.1

- <1.1

- <1.1

- <1.1

- <1.1

- <1.1

- <1.1

-   1.6

- <1.1

- <1.1

- <1.1

- <1.1

- <1.1

- <1.1

- <1.1

- <1.1

- <1.1

- <1.1

- <1.1

- <1.1

- <1.1

- <1.1

- <1.1

- <1.1

- <1.1

- <1.1

- <2.4

- <2.4

- <2.4

- <2.4

- <2.4

- <2.4

- <2.4

- <2.4

- <2.4

- <2.4

- <1.1

- <1.1

- <1.1

- <1.1

- <1.1

- <1.1

- <2.4

- <1.1

- <2.4

- <1.1

## Bacteriophage Treatment of E. coli O157:H7 Infection of Calves

- Six bacteriophage (1011 pfu) capable of lysing most *E. coli* O157:H7 strains were orally administered at -7, -6, 0 and 1 day to 6-week old calves (5 per group) per orally administered 3x109 *E. coli* O157:H7 on day 0
- Phage-treated calves shed fewer *E. coli* O157 on day 2, 4 and 6 than calves fed *E. coli* O157 only, and *E. coli* O157 was not shed after day 8
- 4 of 5 calves fed *E. coli* O157 shed O157 for 10 to 16 days
- T. Waddell et al.  Abstr. VTEC 2000, No. 179 (2000)

## Control of E. coli O157:H7 in Cattle by Vaccination

- Vaccination involves exposing animal to attenuated pathogen or antigen of a virulent microorganism to produce immunity
- Traditional approaches to vaccinate cattle against *E. coli* O157 are not likely to be successful
- Innovative vaccines may be useful
- Example, insert genes of virulence factors of *E. coli* O157 into alfalfa to stimulate production of IgA in GI tract

## Edible Vaccine in Potatoes

- Potatoes were genetically engineered to     produce B subunit of E. coli heat labile   enterotoxin
- Results of volunteers who ingested transgenic potatoes:
- 10 of 11 had a 4-fold increase in serum (IgG) antibodies
- 6 of 11 had a 4-fold increase in intestinal (IgA) antibodies

## Control of E. coli O157:H7 in Cattle by Farm Management Practices

- Water troughs are on-farm sources of *E. coli* O157 contamination from cattle manure and cud
- Need frequent cleaning of water troughs and improved design of cattle water reservoirs to reduce contamination

## Effect of Diet on Carriage of E. coli O157:H7 by Cattle

- Eight 1- to 2-year-old Holstein steers were fed finishing diets of 82 to 90% grain (barley/corn), 100% alfalfa hay or 100% timothy grass (modified crossover design)
- Administered 1010 *E. coli* O157:H7 via gastric tube into rumen to each steer 3 weeks after adaption to a particular diet
- C. J. Hovde et al.  Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65:3233 (1999)

## Effect of Diet on Carriage of E. coli O157:H7 by Cattle

- Average duration of fecal shedding of *E. coli* O157:H7:
- 		Grain diet			 4 days
- 		Alfalfa diet			39 days
- 		Timothy grass diet		42 days
- Acid resistance of *E. coli* O157:H7 was unaffected by   diets
- C. J. Hovde et al.  Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65:3233(1999)

## Influence of Feed Rations on Fecal Shedding of Shiga Toxin-Producing E. coli by Cattle

- Cattle were fed rations of grain or hay in 2- to 3-week increments or solely grain or hay
- Irrespective of the feeding regime, STEC excretion was significantly reduced during the first week after changing the feed
- Thereafter, STEC fecal excretion increased
- STEC isolates from feces possessed high acid tolerance which was not influenced by feeding regime
- H. Richter et al.  Abstr. Shiga Toxin-Producing *E. Coli* 2000, No. 8 (2000)

## Approach to Addressing Foodborne Pathogens on the Farm

- Prioritize foodborne pathogens of greatest concern in livestock and poultry
- Identify vehicles of transmission of specific foodborne pathogens in production environment
- Identify points of intervention that will have the greatest impact on reducing the occurrence of foodborne pathogens at production

## Approach to Addressing Foodborne Pathogens on the Farm

- Develop practical and effective intervention strategies that will reduce or eliminate selected foodborne pathogens from principal animal source
- Develop Good Agricultural Practices for producing livestock and poultry

## Prioritize Foodborne Pathogens of Greatest Concern in Livestock and Poultry

- Epidemiologic case-control studies of human illness indicate strong correlations with:
- Human Disease			Principal Risk Factors
*E. coli* O157:H7 infections		-   Eating undercooked ground					      beef
- 						-   Visiting a farm
- 						-   Contact with cattle
*Campylobacter* infections		-   Handling raw poultry
- 						-   Eating undercooked poultry
*Salmonella enteritidis* 		-   Eating uncooked or lightly
-    infections				      heated egg products

## Potential Vehicles of Transmission of Foodborne Pathogens in the Production Environment

- Manure
- Drinking water
- Feed
- Environment
- Rodents, insects, wildlife

## What Points of Intervention Will Have Greatest Impact on Reducing Occurrence of Foodborne Pathogens at Production

- Case-control studies to identify major risk factors associated with occurrence/transmission of foodborne pathogens at production

## Case-Control Study of E. coli O157:H7 Fecal Shedding in Dairy Calves

- Determined that calves are more likely to shed *E.   coli* O157:H7 after weaning (4.8%) than before weaning (1.4%)
- Shedding in calves was associated with:
- Grouping calves before weaning
- Sharing buckets and bottles among unweaned calves without washing or rinsing
- Feeding grain to calves less than 5 days old

## Case-Control Study of E. coli O157:H7 Fecal Shedding in Dairy Calves

- Shedding was negatively associated with:
- Feeding calves whole cottonseed
- Pasturing in clover
- Garber et al.  1995.  JAVMA 207:46-49.

## Possible Intervention Strategies to Reduce Pathogens at Production in Livestock and Poultry

- Probiotics/competitive exclusion bacteria
- Bacteriophage
- Innovative vaccines
- Genetically modified feeds (e.g., introduce antimicrobials into grain)
- Genetically modified animals resistant to colonization by pathogens
- Modify farm management practices
- Manure treatment

## Example of Approach to
Reduce E. coli O157:H7
On Farm

**Reduce *****E. coli***** O157:H7**
**On Farm**

## Example of Approach to ReduceE. coli O157:H7 at Farm

- Principal contributing factor to human illness is exposure to cattle feces based on principal risk factors (eating undercooked ground beef, visiting a farm, contact with cattle)

## Example of Approach to ReduceE. coli O157:H7 at Farm

- Principal points of intervention to reduce human exposure:
- Reduce/eliminate intestinal carriage and fecal shedding of *E. coli* O157
- Reduce contamination of drinking water vessels used by cattle
- Reduce *E. coli* O157 contamination of manure in the farm environment
- Good personal hygiene of animal handlers

## Example of Approach to ReduceE. coli O157:H7 at Farm

- Develop practical and effective intervention strategies such as:
- Reduce intestinal carriage and fecal shedding by:
- Competitive exclusion bacteria
- Innovative vaccines
- Bacteriophage
- Farm management practices

## Example of Approach to ReduceE. coli O157:H7 at Farm

- Develop practical and effective intervention strategies such as:
- Reduce contamination of drinking water vessels
- Redesign vessels that remove cud sediment
- Cleaning regimes to remove biofilms that entrap *E. coli* O157

## Example of Approach to ReduceE. coli O157:H7 at Farm

- Develop practical and effective intervention strategies such as:
- Reduce contamination of manure in farm environment
- Develop biological competitive approaches to kill *E. coli* O157 in manure in farm yard
- Develop methods to kill *E. coli* O157 in cow manure-based compost
- Develop farm management practices for manure application to soil to reduce *E. coli* O157 contamination of produce and feeds

## Example of Approach to ReduceE. coli O157:H7 at Farm

- Develop practical and effective intervention strategies such as:
- Educate animal handlers in good personal hygiene
- Hand washing
- Avoid touching mouth
- CDC guidelines
- Farm visitors avoid contact with animals and manure
- Use good personal hygiene
- CDC guidelines

## Example of Approach to ReduceE. coli O157:H7 at Farm

- Develop Good Agricultural Practices for producing cattle
- Need to identify control points and intervention treatments
- Prepare GAP guidelines for control food safety aspects of beef cattle production

## Program Needs

- Develop Good Agricultural Practices for livestock and poultry production
- Should include input of experts in food safety with experience in animal production

## Program Needs

- Develop HACCP/GAPs for composting/manure treatment
- Should include input of experts in food safety with experience in animal waste handling

## Program Needs

- Research program (case-control studies) to identify principal risk factors associated with transmission of target pathogens in livestock and poultry production

## Program Needs

- Research program to develop effective intervention strategies to:
- Reduce carriage/fecal shedding of pathogens by livestock and poultry
- EHEC 0157:H7 - Cattle
*Campylobacter* - Poultry, Cattle
*Salmonella* - Poultry, Swine, Cattle
- Cryptosporidium - Cattle
- Treat manure to kill pathogens before used for soil application, or contaminates irrigation or processing water

## Program Needs

- Develop educational program for producers/farmers
- Should include involvement of:
- Extension Service at Land Grant Universities
- Veterinary Schools/Veterinarians
- Veterinary Pharmaceutical Companies
- Representatives of food service, food retail and food processing industries
- Public relations firm to simplify messages and present them for effective communication