Keeping Foodborne Pathogens Down on the Farm

1
Keeping Foodborne Pathogens Down on the Farm

• Michael P. Doyle

2
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 O157H7 - est. 60,000 cases/yr
• Principal vehicles - cattle (handling) and
  beef, produce, water (recreational and drinking)

3
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

4
Transmission of Foodborne Pathogens

• E. coli O157H7
• 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

5
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. 631538
  (2000)

6
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

7
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

8
Risk Factors Associated with Sporadic Cases of E.
coli O157H7 Infection in U.S.

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

9
Risk Factors Associated with E. coli O157H7
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. 36317, 1998

10
Risk Factor Associated with E. coli O157H7
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 448, 1998

11
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 (gt95 E. coli
  O157H7) infection from 1990 - 95 in
  Ontario, Canada

Michel et al. Epidemiol. Infect. 122193 (1999)
12
Risk Factors Associated with STECInfections 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

13
Risk Factors Associated with STECInfections in
Canada

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

14
Calf to Human Transmission of E. coli O157H7

• 1. 13-month-old boy hospitalized with bloody
  diarrhea in October 1992 lived on dairy farm in
  SW Ontario
• - E. coli O157H7 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 O157H7 phagetype 23
• Renwick et al. J. Infect. Dis. 168792 (1993)

15
E. coli O157H7 Transmissionvia a Dog

• 1. Three-year-old U.K. girl developed E. Coli
• O157H7 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 O157H7 was recovered
• from cattle on the farm
• Parry et al. 1995. Lancet 3468974

16
E. coli O157H7 Infection from Vegetables

• 1. 39-year-old lacto-ovo-vegetarian woman in
  Maine had E. coli O157H7 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 O157H7 was isolated manured soil from
  the garden
• Cieslak et al., Lancet 342367 (1993)

17
Outbreak of E. coli O157H7 Infections Associated
with Farm Visits

• 51 cases of E. coli O157H7 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)
• O157H7 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)

18
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

19
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

20
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

21
Prevalence of Salmonella in Manure

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

22
Prevalence of E. coli O157H7 in Manure

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

23
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 O157H7 102 - 105 108
• Cryptosporidium 105 - 1010 107

24
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
  178251 (1999)

25
Survival of E. coli O157H7 in Bovine Feces

• Detected by
• enrichment

37oC ? 22oC ? 5oC ?
26
Survival of E. coli O157H7 inSheep Manure

• Manure pile (7 m long by 3 m wide by 0.6 m deep)
  collected from sheep experimentally administered
  E. coli O157H7 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
• O157H7 counts ranged from lt102 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.
643166 (1998)
27
E. coli O157H7 Infection Associatedwith Well
Water and Infected Cattleon a Dairy Farm

• 16-month old child from dairy farm hospitalized
  with bloody diarrhea
• E. coli O157H7 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. 12017,
  1998

28
Lake-Associated Outbreak ofE. coli O157H7
Infection

• 1. 12 cases of E. coli O157H7 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)

29
Association of E. coli O157H7 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

30
Survival of E. coli O157H7 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

31
Association of E. coli O157H7 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 O157H7
• J. R. Fischer et al., University of Georgia

32
Association of E. coli O157H7 with Deer

• During autumn 1997, 371 fecal samples
  collected directly from hunter-killed deer at 6
  Georgia wildlife management areas
• E. coli O157H7 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

33
Association of E. coli O157H7 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 O157H7
• During same time period, 231 fecal samples
  collected directly from cattle present in
  vicinity of deer
• E. coli O157H7 isolated from 12 (5.2) cattle
• J. R. Fischer et al., University of Georgia

34
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

35
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

36
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

37
Intervention or Control Points

• Food Producers
• Examples of CPs 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

38
Control of E. coli O157H7 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 animals 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

39
Recovery of E. coliO157H7 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 lt0.5 X 101 - 3.2 X 103 3.8 X
  102
• Recticulum 7 / 9 lt0.5 X 101 - 2.5 X 103
  4.1 X 102
• Omasum 9 / 9 lt0.5 X 101 - 2.5 X 103 2.9 X
  102
• Abomasum 0 / 9 0 0
• Duodenum 2 / 9 lt0.5 X 101
  lt0.5 X 101
• Ileum 4 / 9 lt0.5 X 101 - 4.0 X 101 1.4 X
  101
• Distal cecum 7 / 9 lt0.5 X 101 - 2.5 X 101
  0.8 X 101
• Spiral colon 7 / 9 lt0.5 X 101 - 6.3 X 102
  1.2 X 102
• Descending 5 / 9 lt0.5 X 101 - 2.5 X 102
  6.8 X 101
• colon

40
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

41
E. coli O157H7 (log CFU/g) in feces of cattle
administered E. coli O157H7 only
42
E. coli O157H7 (log/g) at necropsy (day 33) in
cattle administered E. coli O157H7 only
Rumen
Rumen
Colon
Colon
Feces
Steer No.
content
tissue
content
tissue
3.6
3.1
4.8
5.0
5.1
1
4
1.5
1.5
1.6
lt2.4
1.3
5
lt1.1
1.1
lt2.4
lt2.4
lt1.1
8
3.1
2.6
4.9
5.2
5.7
11
lt1.1
1.2
lt1.1
4.3
lt1.1
13
lt1.1
1.5
2.4
4.8
lt1.1
16
lt1.1
2.5
lt1.1
3.4
lt1.1
17
3.4
1.9
1.2
lt2.4
lt1.1
21
lt1.1
1.5
1.4
3.1
1.0
lt2.4
24
lt1.1
1.2
1.4
lt1.1
43
E. coli O157H7 (log/g) in feces of cattle
administered E. coli O157H7 and probiotic
bacteria
Steer No.
Day 2
Day 12
Day 21
Day 30
2
4.7
lt1.1
lt2.4
lt1.1
3
4.7
lt1.1
lt2.4
lt1.1
6
4.9
lt1.1
2.1
lt1.1
7
3.6
lt1.1
lt2.4
lt1.1
9
5.5
lt1.1
lt2.4
lt1.1
10
5.3
lt1.1
lt2.4
lt1.1
15
4.4
lt1.1
lt2.4
lt2.4
18
3.4
lt1.1
lt2.4
lt1.1
20
3.7
lt1.1
lt2.4
lt2.4
22
5.0
lt1.1
lt1.1
lt1.1
44
E. coli O157H7 (log/g) at necropsy (day 33) in
cattle administered E. coli O157H7 and probiotic
bacteria
Rumen
Rumen
Colon
Colon
Steer No.
content
tissue
content
tissue
Feces
2
lt1.1
lt1.1
lt1.1
lt2.4
lt1.1
3
2.5
1.6
lt1.1
lt2.4
lt1.1
6
lt1.1
lt1.1
lt1.1
lt2.4
lt1.1
7
lt1.1
lt1.1
lt1.1
lt2.4
lt1.1
9
lt1.1
lt1.1
lt1.1
lt2.4
lt1.1
10
lt1.1
lt1.1
lt1.1
lt2.4
lt1.1
15
lt1.1
lt1.1
lt1.1
lt2.4
lt2.4
18
lt1.1
lt1.1
lt1.1
lt2.4
lt1.1
20
lt1.1
lt1.1
lt1.1
lt2.4
lt2.4
22
lt1.1
lt1.1
lt1.1
lt2.4
lt1.1
45
Bacteriophage Treatment of E. coli O157H7
Infection of Calves

• Six bacteriophage (1011 pfu) capable of lysing
  most E. coli O157H7 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 O157H7 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)

46
Control of E. coli O157H7 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

47
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

48
Control of E. coli O157H7 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

49
Effect of Diet on Carriage of E. coli O157H7 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 O157H7 via gastric
  tube into rumen to each steer 3 weeks after
  adaption to a particular diet
• C. J. Hovde et al. Appl. Environ. Microbiol.
  653233 (1999)

50
Effect of Diet on Carriage of E. coli O157H7 by
Cattle

• Average duration of fecal shedding of E. coli
  O157H7
• Grain diet 4 days
• Alfalfa diet 39 days
• Timothy grass diet 42 days
• Acid resistance of E. coli O157H7 was unaffected
  by diets
• C. J. Hovde et al. Appl. Environ. Microbiol.
  653233(1999)

51
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)

52
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

53
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

54
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 O157H7 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

55
Potential Vehicles of Transmission of Foodborne
Pathogens in the Production Environment

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

56
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

57
Case-Control Study of E. coli O157H7 Fecal
Shedding in Dairy Calves

• Determined that calves are more likely to shed E.
  coli O157H7 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

58
Case-Control Study of E. coli O157H7 Fecal
Shedding in Dairy Calves

• Shedding was negatively associated with
• Feeding calves whole cottonseed
• Pasturing in clover
• Garber et al. 1995. JAVMA 20746-49.

59
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

60

• Example of Approach to
• Reduce E. coli O157H7
• On Farm

61
Example of Approach to ReduceE. coli O157H7 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)

62
Example of Approach to ReduceE. coli O157H7 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

63
Example of Approach to ReduceE. coli O157H7 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

64
Example of Approach to ReduceE. coli O157H7 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

65
Example of Approach to ReduceE. coli O157H7 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

66
Example of Approach to ReduceE. coli O157H7 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

67
Example of Approach to ReduceE. coli O157H7 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

68
Program Needs

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

69
Program Needs

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

70
Program Needs

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

71
Program Needs

• Research program to develop effective
  intervention strategies to
• Reduce carriage/fecal shedding of pathogens by
  livestock and poultry
• EHEC 0157H7 - 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

72
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