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Table 1 Prevention of animal carriage of E. coli 0157: H7

From: Interventions for preventing diarrhea-associated hemolytic uremic syndrome: systematic review

Study type

Study

Population

Intervention/Comparison

Results

Animal vaccination

SR

Pre-harvest interventions for E. coli 0157: H7 [26]

Domestic ruminants

Vaccines, probiotics, antimicrobials, chlorate treatment

L. acidophilus NP51 and P. freudenreichii were the only interventions significantly proven in field trials to increase animal resistance to colonization with E. coli O157.

SR

Vaccinations to reduce faecal shedding of E. coli 0157: H7 [25]

Domestic ruminants

Type III secreted proteins of E. coli O157: H7 vaccination

Meta-analysis of eight comparisons showed a significant reduction in E. coli O157 faecal prevalence (OR = 0.38, 95% CI = 0.20, 0.51) [25] .

 

Siderophore receptor and porin protein (SRP) vaccines [25]

Cattle

SRP vaccination

Meta-analysis of three trials showed significantly reduced E. coli O157 faecal shedding in cattle (OR = 0.42, 95% CI = 0.20,0.61) [25]. Although there was heterogeneity in the meta-analyses, these results indicate that type III and SRP protein vaccines decrease the faecal shedding of E. coli O157 in cattle [25] .

 

Bacterin vaccines [25]

Cattle

Bacterin vaccination

No significant effect on E. coli O157 faecal shedding [25] .

RCT

Vaccination of calves [28]

60 calves

Vaccination with commercially produced type III secreted proteins (TTSP)/placebo

During peak shedding (days 3–6):

Vaccinated animals showed mean log reduction of 1.4 (P = 0.002)

Number of animals shedding significantly lower among the vaccinates (P ≤ 0.05)

RCT

Vaccination with E. coli 0157: H7 SRP bacterial extract [29]

437 cows from 2 commercial cow-calf herds

Vaccinated calves born to cows vaccinated pre-partum with E. coli 0157: H7 SRP vaccine/Placebo treatment

Calves born to vaccinated cows had significantly higher titres of anti E. coli 0157: H7 SRP antibodies in circulation at branding time (P < 0.001)

Diet

SR

Pre-harvest interventions [26]

Ruminants

Food additives e.g. probiotics, sodium chlorate, antimicrobials, bacteriophages

Probiotics and sodium chlorate were effective in reducing E. coli O157 load. Antimicrobials neither decreased nor increased load. There was insufficient evidence to support the effectiveness of bacteriophages and other food additives. The review was limited by lack of high quality studies, inconsistent results and conduct of studies in an artificial environment.

R

Diet, E. coli 0157: H7 and cattle [5]

Cattle

Alterations in diet and dietary supplements, forage, grains, hay

Grains can increase fecal E. coli 0157: H7 shedding. E. coli 0157: H7 concentrations in cattle can be affected by the composition of their diet.

R

Forage feeding interventions to reduce preharvest E. coli[49]

Cattle

Forage feeding compared to grain-based feeds

Change in diet from grain (corn) to forage (hay) decreased faecal E. coli O157: H7 in cattle by up to 1000-fold within 5 days

RCT

Dried distiller’s grains (DG) [30]

28 pens of feedlot cattle

Dried DG or dry rolled corn/2 × 2 factorial design

No significant effect of DG or dry rolled corn on E. coli 0157: H7 prevalence

RCT

Wet DG with solubles (WDGS) [31]

603 feedlot steers

40% WDGS/No WDGS

Higher levels of faecal E. coli 0157: H7 in WDGS-fed animals compared to controls (P < 0.001), indicating WDGS feeding may increase E. coli 0157: H7 levels

RCT

Wet DG [32]

272 feedlot crossbred beef heifers

Addition of Wet DG to feed/no WDG

No significant effect of feeding wet DG on faecal E. coli 0157: H7

RCT

WDGS [34]

608 heifers

Animals fed 40 or 70% WDGS, then switched to 0 or 15% for 56 days/no WDGS

Significantly lower E. coli 0157:H7 in faeces and on hides after lowering levels of dietary WDGS (≤ 15% for last 56 days prior to harvest (P < 0.05)

Probiotics

SR

Probiotics (6 RCTs) [26]

Ruminants

Probiotics/No treatment or control

Evidence of efficacy for probiotic combination L. acidophilus NP51 (NPC 747) and P. freudenreichii

RCT

Microbial feedings [35]

Cattle

Microbial feedings

Decreased E. coli O157 on cattle hides (74% less likely, P < 0.05) and 69% less likely in faeces (P < 0.01)

RCT

Probiotics [36].

448 steers

L. acidophilus NP51/control

Steers fed L. acidophilus NP51 were 35% less likely to shed E. coli 0157: H7 than steers in untreated pens (OR = 0.58, P = 0.008)

RCT

Probiotics [37]

Cattle

L. acidophilus NP51

Cattle on L. acidophilus NP51 excreted less E. coli 0157 in the feeding period compared with the controls (P < 0.01), Dose response was a linear decrease in excretion with increasing dose (P < 0.01)

Bacteriophage

RCT

Bacteriophage [38]

Cattle

Poly-encapsulated phages/control

Poly-encapsulated phages did not reduce duration of shedding (P < 0.1)

Vitamin D

RCT

Vitamin D [39]

Two groups of Cattle (beef and dairy)

Received .5 × 10 (6) IU vitamin D per day for 10 days/Control treatment

No significant effect on faecal shedding of E. coli 0157: H7

Other purpose supplements

RCT

Feed supplements of Monensin, Ractopamine [40]

720 crossbred beef steers

Monensin (33 or 44 mg/kg of DM)

Significantly less faecal E. coli 0157: H7 with monensin at 44 mg/kg of feed, than at 33 mg/kg (4.3 vs 6.8%, P = 0.05). Urea or ractopamine had no effect (P = 0.9)

Urea (0, 0.35, 0.70% of DM) or ractopamine (0,200 mg/steer)/2 × 3 ×2 factorial block design

Farm practices

RCT

Young cattle – farm practices [41]

57 farms

Multiple interventions were applied to 3 groups of farms of young animals. Group A: No new animals, no contact with other cattle and no shared water sources; bedding and animals kept dry; animals kept clean; animals kept as a closed group; boot-dip and overcoat used. Group B: No new animals, no contact with other cattle and no shared water sources; water troughs emptied and cleaned weekly. Group C received all the interventions of A and B.

The effect of each intervention was analysed by univariable comparative analysis. Dry bedding and retaining animals in original groups were the most important measures of the intervention s (P < 0.05)

Control farms had no alteration in practices

RCT

Solarization of soil in feedlot pen to reduce E. coli 0157: H7 [42]

Feedlot pen divided into 40 plots

Soil solarization in feedlot pen surface material/No solarization

>3.0-log reduction of E. coli 0157: H7 by week 6 of solarization (P < 0.05) in the treated pens compared to control

  1. RCT randomised controlled trial; SR systematic review; R non-systematic review.