Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains are responsible for human illness. Ruminants are recognized as a major reservoir of STEC, and animal feeds, such as silages, have been pointed out as a possible vehicle for the spread of STEC. The present study aimed to monitor the fate of pathogenic E. coli O26 strains in corn material experimentally inoculated (10 5 CFU/g) during ensiling, just after silo opening, and after several days of aerobic exposure. The addition of 3 bacterial inoculants, Propionibacterium sp., Lactobacillus buchneri, and Leuconostoc mesenteroides (10 6 CFU/g), was evaluated for their abilities to control these pathogens. The results showed that E. coli O26 could not survive in corn silage 5 days postensiling, and the 3 inoculants tested did not modify the fate of pathogen survival during ensiling. In the case of direct contamination at silo opening, E. coli O26 could be totally eradicated from corn silage previously inoculated with Leuconostoc mesenteroides. The combination of proper ensiling techniques and the utilization of selected bacterial inoculants appears to represent a good strategy to guarantee nutritional qualities of cattle feed while at the same time limiting the entry of pathogenic E. coli into the epidemiological cycle to improve the microbial safety of the food chain.

Aims:  The main objective of this study was to evaluate the behaviour of non‐O157:H7 Shiga‐toxin‐producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains in cow manure. Methods and Results:  A mixture of eight green‐fluorescent‐protein‐labelled STEC strains was inoculated around 106–107 CFU g−1 into four manure heaps. Two heaps were regularly turned and the two others remained unturned. STEC counts and physical parameters (temperature, pH, moisture content and oxido‐reduction potential) were monitored for 1000 manure samples. The highest mean pH values were obtained near the surface at the base of all manure heaps. At the surface, the moisture content decreased from 76·5% to 42% in turned heaps. Temperatures reached 65°C near the main body of all manure heaps, and only 35°C near the superficial parts located at the base of them. These two sites (the centre and the base) were associated with D values for the STEC counts of 0·48 and 2·39 days, respectively. We were able to detect STEC strains during 42 days in turned manure heaps and during at least 90 days in unturned ones. Conclusions:  These results emphasize the long‐term survival of non‐O157:H7 STEC in cow manure. Significance and Impact of the Study:  Good management practices (e.g. turning) should be respected in order to minimize the risk of environmental contamination by STEC.

This study provides useful information regarding the ecology of STEC O26 in manure-amended soils and may have implications for land and waste management.

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 is an important pathogen associated with infections caused by consumption of undercooked raw meat. Sensitive and rapid detection methods for E. coli O157:H7 are essential for the meat industry to ensure a safe meat supply. This study was conducted to compare the sensitivity of the VIDAS ultra performance E. coli test (ECPT UP) with a noncommercial real-time (RT) PCR method and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) reference method for detecting E. coli O157:H7 in raw ground beef. Optimal enrichment times and the efficacy of testing different types of raw meat, either as individual samples (25 g) or as composites (375 g), were examined. For 25-g samples of each type of raw ground beef tested, 6 h of enrichment was sufficient for both the VIDAS ECPT UP and RT-PCR methods, but for 375-g samples, 24 h of enrichment was required. Both the VIDAS ECPT UP and RT-PCR methods produced results similar to those obtained with the USDA-FSIS reference method after 18 to 24 h of enrichment. The primer specificity of the RT-PCR assay and the highly specific phage ligand used in the VIDAS ECPT UP for target recognition enabled the detection of low levels of E. coli O157:H7 in 25 g of various types of raw ground beef. The tests also allowed the detection of E. coli O157:H7 in composite raw ground beef and trimmings in samples of up to 375 g.

A widespread belief is that typical hemolytic and uremic syndrome (HUS) does not recur. We report the case of a patient infected twice with raw milk taken from his own cow and containing a Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli O174:H21 that induced recurrent HUS causing severe renal and cerebral disorders. A genomic comparison of the human and bovine Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli O174:H21 isolates revealed that they were identical.Typical HUS may recur. Since milk from this animal was occasionally distributed locally, thereby posing a serious threat for the whole village, this particular cow was destroyed.