Prevalence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in White-tailed Deer from Louisiana

Abstract

Escherichia coli O157:H7 (EC O157) is an important zoonosis. White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) have been implicated in transmission of this bacterium to humans and have been suggested as reservoirs that might affect carriage in cattle populations. Our study objectives were to estimate prevalence of EC O157 in feces of hunter-harvested deer and to describe fecal shedding patterns in a captive herd sampled over 1 yr. Prevalence of EC O157 in hunter-harvested deer was 0.3% (nϭ338). In August 2001, EC O157 was detected in one of 55 deer (1.8%) from the captive herd. Prevalence over the 1-yr period was 0.4% (nϭ226). Escherichia coli O157:H7 was rarely isolated from hunter-harvested deer during the winter. We could not describe a seasonal shedding pattern based on one positive sample in the captive herd. These data do not support a prominent role of deer as a reservoir for EC O157 for cattle or humans.

Shiga Toxins, and the Genes Encoding Them, in Fecal Samples from Native Idaho Ungulates

“…The STEC frequency demonstrated here among wild ungulates (19.4% overall [22.3% in elk, 15.3% in deer]) is similar to the highest reported among dairy cattle (13) and is considerably higher than the frequency of O157:H7 reported among U.S. deer (7,9,24). Both sorbitol fermentative and nonfermentative E. coli were isolated in this study, and both produced detectable Stx toxin and/or presented detectable stx genes.…”

“…STEC are transferred by the fecal-oral route, so wild animals and cattle sharing common areas would likely experience interspecies transfer (23). Although not studied extensively, O157:H7 isolates have been identified in wild deer (7,9,10,23,24) and have been implicated in at least one human infection (16,27).Nonetheless, wild deer are rarely screened for either Shiga toxin or its genes.Fecal pellets (collected from live mule deer and elk in Idaho from December 2005 to March 2006) cultured in tryptic soy broth (TSB) (Becton Dickinson, Franklin Lakes, NJ) at 37°C were screened for Shiga toxin (Remel ProSpecT Shiga toxin microplate ELISA kit; Remel, Inc., Lexena, KS) and the stx 1 , stx 2 , eae (intimin), and ehx (enterohemolysin, also known as hemolysin A [hlyA]) genes (25) from total DNA (isolated using the Puregene DNA purification system [Gentra, Minneapolis, MN]) via PCR (Table 1).Fecal cultures (n ϭ 160) screened in this manner yielded 31/160 (19.4%) positive for Shiga toxin or the stx 1 or stx 2 genes (Table 2). From this pool, 26/31 (83.9%) amplified either stx 1 or stx 2 genes but no toxin was detected, while 5/31 (16.1%) exhibited both stx genes and toxin.…”

“…STEC are transferred by the fecal-oral route, so wild animals and cattle sharing common areas would likely experience interspecies transfer (23). Although not studied extensively, O157:H7 isolates have been identified in wild deer (7,9,10,23,24) and have been implicated in at least one human infection (16,27).…”

Simultaneous Presence of Insertion Sequence Excision Enhancer and Insertion Sequence IS 629 Correlates with Increased Diversity and Virulence in Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli

“…Our data suggest that IEEs were acquired by O55:H7, typical O157:H7, atypical O157: H7, and LSU-61 independently and that these strains diverged earlier. Intriguingly, an O157:H7 strain similar to LSU-61 was isolated from a red deer in 2001 in Europe, but it has not yet been reported to cause human disease (38). This suggests that IEE was acquired separately by each serotype.…”

DNA extracted from faeces as a source of information about endemic reindeer from the High Arctic: detection of Shiga toxin genes and the analysis of reindeer male-specific DNA

“…In this study, we detected the stx1 gene in 90 % of the tested faecal samples and in 50 % of the tested samples the stx2 gene was determined to be present, which is a considerably high percentage of detection frequency when compared to the Norwegian reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus; Aschfalk et al 2003) or a white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) from Louisiana (Dunn et al 2004) and Pennsylvania (Kistler et al 2011). Lillehaug et al (2005 reported that no E. coli O157 isolates, both Shiga toxins producing as well as not Shiga toxins producing, were observed in four different wild cervid species: red deer (Cervus elaphus), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), moose (Alces alces) and reindeer from the central Norway.…”