Antimicrobial Resistance Among Escherichia coli Isolated from Veal Calf Operations in Pennsylvania.

Antimicrobial resistance (AR) is a pressing public health concern, and agricultural operations such as dairy and beef cattle production have been implicated as potential sources of resistant bacteria or genetic elements. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of antimicrobial-resistant Escherichia coli from calf pens in 6 auction houses (56 manure composite samples) and 12 veal calf operations (240 fecal samples in 2 visits: after the calves arrived at the farm and shortly before the animals were sent to slaughter) in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. A total of 1567 generic E. coli were isolated and screened for resistance phenotypes. Resistant E. coli were isolated from all auction houses and farms sampled. Based on nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis tests, incremental prevalence of E. coli resistant to ampicillin, azithromycin, cefoxitin, ceftiofur, ceftriaxone, chloramphenicol, streptomycin, sulfisoxazole, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and tetracycline in the samples from auction houses and the first and second farm visits was observed (χ2 6.98-15.91, p < 0.05). Multidrug-resistant E. coli (resistant to more than three antimicrobial classes) were identified in 76.8%, 90.8%, and 100% of samples collected from the auction houses, first farm visits, and second farm visits, respectively. The presence of blaCTX-M-E. coli in 11 of the 12 farms presents the possibility of veal production environments being a reservoir for resistant genetic materials that may pose a risk to human health if they are transferred to human pathogens. Additional research on the impact of various management strategies in veal calf rearing is needed for a complete scenario of AR in these production environments.

Age-Associated Distribution of Antimicrobial-Resistant Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli Isolated from Dairy Herds in Pennsylvania, 2013-2015.

Antimicrobial resistance has become a major global public health concern, and agricultural operations are often implicated as a source of resistant bacteria. This study characterized the prevalence of antimicrobial-resistant Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli from a total of 443 manure composite samples from preweaned calves, postweaned calves, dry cows, and lactating cows from 80 dairy operations in Pennsylvania. A total of 1095 S. enterica and 2370 E. coli isolates were screened and tested for resistance to 14 antimicrobials on the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System Gram-negative (NARMS GN) panel. Salmonellae were isolated from 67% of dairy operations, and 99% of the isolates were pan-susceptible. Salmonella were isolated more frequently from lactating and dry cow samples than from pre- and postweaned calf samples. Overall, the most prevalent serotypes were Cerro, Montevideo, Kentucky, and Newport. E. coli were isolated from all the manure composite samples, and isolates were commonly resistant to tetracyclines, sulfonamides, and aminoglycosides. Resistance was detected more frequently in the E. coli isolates from pre- and postweaned calf samples than in isolates from dry and lactating cow samples (p < 0.05). Multidrug-resistant E. coli (i.e., resistant to >3 antimicrobial classes) were isolated from 66 farms (83%) with significantly greater prevalence in preweaned calves (p < 0.05) than in the older age groups. The blaCTX-M and blaCMY genes were detected in the cephalosporin-resistant E. coli from 4% and 35% of the farms, respectively. These findings indicate that dairy animals, especially the calf population, serve as significant reservoirs for antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. Additional research on the colonization and persistence of resistant E. coli in calves is warranted to identify potential avenues for mitigation.

Dynamics of Escherichia coli Virulence Factors in Dairy Herds and Farm Environments in a Longitudinal Study in the United States.

Pathogenic Escherichia coli or its associated virulence factors have been frequently detected in dairy cow manure, milk, and dairy farm environments. However, it is unclear what the long-term dynamics of E. coli virulence factors are and which farm compartments act as reservoirs. This study assessed the occurrence and dynamics of four E. coli virulence factors (eae, stx1, stx2, and the gamma allele of the tir gene [γ-tir]) on three U.S. dairy farms. Fecal, manure, water, feed, milk, and milk filter samples were collected from 2004 to 2012. Virulence factors were measured by postenrichment quantitative PCR (qPCR). All factors were detected in most compartments on all farms. Fecal and manure samples showed the highest prevalence, up to 53% for stx and 21% for γ-tir in fecal samples and up to 84% for stx and 44% for γ-tir in manure. Prevalence was low in milk (up to 1.9% for stx and 0.7% for γ-tir). However, 35% of milk filters were positive for stx and 20% were positive for γ-tir. All factors were detected in feed and water. Factor prevalence and levels, expressed as qPCR cycle threshold categories, fluctuated significantly over time, with no clear seasonal signal independent from year-to-year variability. Levels were correlated between fecal and manure samples, and in some cases autocorrelated, but not between manure and milk filters. Shiga toxins were nearly ubiquitous, and 10 to 18% of the lactating cows were potential shedders of E. coli O157 at least once during their time in the herds. E. coli virulence factors appear to persist in many areas of the farms and therefore contribute to transmission dynamics.

Invasion and transmission of Salmonella Kentucky in an adult dairy herd using approximate Bayesian computation.

BACKGROUND: An outbreak of Salmonella Kentucky followed by a high level of sustained endemic prevalence was recently observed in a US adult dairy herd enrolled in a longitudinal study involving intensive fecal sampling. To understand the invasion ability and transmission dynamics of Salmonella Kentucky in dairy cattle, accurate estimation of the key epidemiological parameters from longitudinal field data is necessary. The approximate Bayesian computation technique was applied for estimating the transmission rate (ß), the recovery rate (γ) and shape (n) parameters of the gamma distribution for the infectious (shedding) period, and the basic reproduction ratio (R0), given a susceptible-infectious-recovered-susceptible (SIRS) compartment model with a gamma distribution for the infectious period. RESULTS: The results report that the mean transmission rate (ß) is 0.417 month-1 (median: 0.417, 95% credible interval [0.406, 0.429]), the average infectious period (γ-1) is 7.95 months (median: 7.95, 95% credible interval [7.70, 8.22]), the mean shape parameter (n) of the gamma distribution for the infectious period is 242 (median: 182, 95% credible interval [16, 482]), and the mean basic reproduction ratio (R0) is 2.91 (median: 2.91, 95% credible interval [2.83, 3.00]). CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that Salmonella Kentucky in this herd was of mild infectiousness and had a long infectious period, which together provide an explanation for the observed prevalence pattern after invasion. The transmission rate and the recovery rate parameters are inferred with better accuracy than the shape parameter, therefore these two parameters are more sensitive to the model and the observed data. The estimated shape parameter (n) has large variability with a minimal value greater than one, indicating that the infectious period of Salmonella Kentucky in dairy cattle does not follow the conventionally assumed exponential distribution.

Regional distribution of two dairy-associated Salmonella enterica serotypes.

Salmonella enterica is a zoonotic pathogen that is often associated with dairy farms. The organism can cause disease in cows but is also frequently shed in large numbers by dairy cows that are asymptomatic. Long-term asymptomatic infections with serotypes Cerro and Kentucky were previously identified in cows on a 100-head dairy farm in Pennsylvania, United States (focal dairy). Milk filters were collected from farms within 30 miles of the focal dairy to determine whether the infections by Cerro and Kentucky were limited to the focal dairy or whether the infection might be more regional in nature. Analysis of milk filters showed that Cerro and Kentucky were widespread in the surrounding region with 16 of 39 farms (41%) positive for one or both serotypes. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis showed that the milk filter Kentucky strains shared >90% similarity with strains from the focal dairy and from local streams. Although there was more variation between Cerro strains (>80% similarity), most milk filter Cerro isolates from most milk filters were highly similar (>90%) to strains isolated from the focal dairy and local streams. In this intensely dairy-farmed region, Salmonella infection of dairy cows appears to be regional in nature, a fact that will impact efforts to control these pathogens.

Dynamics of Salmonella serotype shifts in an endemically infected dairy herd.

Salmonella is a leading cause of foodborne illness in the United States. It is a zoonotic pathogen found in many species of food animals, and contamination of foodstuffs by strains of Salmonella found on farms is an important source of human exposure. Here we describe a long-term (2004-2010) study of Salmonella colonization on a typical dairy farm in the Northeastern United States. The fecal shedding prevalence in the herd ranged from 8% to 97%, and greater than 50% of the herd was shedding Salmonella for more than two-thirds of the study period. Salmonella enterica serotype Cerro was first detected in September 2004, after a small and very short-lived outbreak of Salmonella Kentucky. Cerro persisted within the herd for over 3 years, with no clinical signs of salmonellosis in the animals. In the winter of 2006, Kentucky was again detected within the herd, and over a 2-year period, Kentucky gradually supplanted Cerro. Kentucky was the only serotype detected from March 2008 until September 2009, when Cerro was again detected in 15% of the cows on the farm. Since September 2009, Kentucky and Cerro have coexisted within the herd, which continues to harbor these serotypes at high prevalence. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) could not discern differences between Cerro strains isolated during this study, but it did suggest that the strain of Kentucky that seemed to behave as a commensal in these dairy cows is distinct from the transient strain isolated in 2004. Understanding the dynamics of competition between these two serotypes that seem to behave as commensal colonizers of dairy cows may provide insights into the mechanisms by which Salmonella establishes infection in the lower gut of dairy cows and may lead to the development of measures to prevent or limit Salmonella colonization of dairy cows.

Prevalence of Clostridium difficile toxin genes in the feces of veal calves and incidence of ground veal contamination.

A study was conducted in two parts to determine the prevalence of toxigenic Clostridium difficile in veal calves and retail meat. The first part of the study focused on the veal production continuum (farm to abattoir). Fifty calves from 4 veal herds (n=200) were followed for 18-22 weeks from the time of arrival on the veal farm to the time of slaughter. Fecal samples were collected from calves every 4-6 weeks. Half of the calves included in the study (n=100) were followed to the abattoir where carcass swabs were collected post slaughter. Fecal samples and carcass swabs were screened for genes encoding C. difficile toxins TcdA, TcdB, and CDT by using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Carcass swabs were also screened for toxigenic C. difficile by using traditional culture methods. In the second part of the study, ground veal products (n=50 samples) purchased from local grocery stores were examined for toxigenic C. difficile by using real-time PCR and traditional culture methods. Fecal samples from 56 of 200 (28%) calves tested positive for C. difficile toxin genes at least once over the course of the study. Calf age (p=0.011) influenced prevalence of C. difficile toxin genes in calf feces. Toxin genes of C. difficile were detected in one carcass swab by multiplex real-time PCR only. Toxigenic C. difficile was detected by PCR and culture in four (8%) and three (6%) ground veal samples, respectively. The findings of the study reveal that toxigenic C. difficile was most prevalent in veal calves (12%) just before slaughter, although viable toxigenic C. difficile was not recovered from veal carcasses. On the contrary, viable toxigenic C. difficle was recovered from 6% retail meat, thus suggesting that contamination occurs either during or after veal fabrication.

Identification of novel small molecule antimicrobials targeting Mycoplasma bovis.

OBJECTIVES: To screen novel small molecule compounds for inhibition of Mycoplasma bovis growth and to characterize their activity in terms of dose-dependency and ability to function in milk. METHODS: Using a tetrazolium salt cytotoxicity assay, 480 natural compounds were screened to determine which of the small molecules have the potential to become therapeutic options for M. bovis prevention and treatment. The dose response was determined in broth culture and in fresh quarter milk for a subset of compounds shown to be capable of inhibiting M. bovis growth. RESULTS: Data suggest that 32 of the 480 compounds tested were able to inhibit growth of M. bovis using a tetrazolium salt assay. Methanesulphonic acid, 3-[(2E)-3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)prop-2-enoyloxy](1S,3R,4R,5R)-1,4,5-trihydroxycyclohexane carboxylic acid, S-carboxymethyl-l-cysteine, l-aspartic acid, dihydrotachysterol, eriodictyol and (+)-α-tocopherol acid succinate were selected for further concentration-dependent studies and testing in fresh quarter milk. Each compound demonstrated a dose response in broth culture and at 3 h and 24 h in fresh quarter milk. CONCLUSIONS: Small molecule natural compounds are capable of inhibiting the growth of M. bovis in both a pleuropneumonia-like organism (PPLO) medium and in fresh quarter milk. Results suggest that the compounds are mycoplasmastatic in a dose-dependent manner. By inhibiting M. bovis, small molecule natural compounds offer the potential for prophylactic or therapeutic use on organic and natural farms as a viable alternative to traditional antimicrobial agents.

Assessing the potential impact of Salmonella vaccines in an endemically infected dairy herd.

Salmonella spp. in cattle contribute to bacterial foodborne disease for humans. Reduction of Salmonella prevalence in herds is important to prevent human Salmonella infections. Typical control measures are culling of infectious animals, vaccination, and improved hygiene management. Vaccines have been developed for controlling Salmonella transmission in dairy herds; however, these vaccines are imperfect and a variety of vaccine effects on susceptibility, infectiousness, Salmonella shedding level, and duration of infectious period were reported. To assess the potential impact of imperfect Salmonella vaccines on prevalence over time and the eradication criterion, we developed a deterministic compartmental model with both replacement (cohort) and lifetime (continuous) vaccination strategies, and applied it to a Salmonella Cerro infection in a dairy farm. To understand the uncertainty of prevalence and identify key model parameters, global parameter uncertainty and sensitivity analyses were performed. The results show that imperfect Salmonella vaccines reduce the prevalence of Salmonella Cerro. Among three vaccine effects that were being considered, decreasing the length of the infectious period is most effective in reducing the endemic prevalence. Analyses of contour lines of prevalence or the critical reproduction ratio illustrate that, reducing prevalence to a certain level or zero can be achieved by choosing vaccines that have either a single vaccine effect at relatively high effectiveness, or two or more vaccine effects at relatively low effectiveness. Parameter sensitivity analysis suggests that effective control measures through applying Salmonella vaccines should be adjusted at different stages of infection. In addition, lifetime (continuous) vaccination is more effective than replacement (cohort) vaccination. The potential application of the developed vaccination model to other Salmonella serotypes related to foodborne diseases was also discussed. The presented study may be used as a tool for guiding the development of Salmonella vaccines.

Bulk-tank milk analysis. A useful tool for improving milk quality and herd udder health.

Bulk-tank milk (BTM) analysis is now widely accepted as a useful tool for evaluating milk quality and monitoring udder-health status in a herd. Bacterial and somatic cell count (SCC) estimation of BTM, when done repeatedly over a period of time, can become a significant knowledge base. When interpreted within the context of the farm's management practices, this information provides a basis for evaluating current and potential milk quality and mastitis problems in a herd. This article describes the process of using BTM analysis to make decisions on improving milk quality and herd udder health. It should be kept in mind that although individual cow samples for milk culture and SCC are more definitive for diagnosis and monitoring of udder health, BTM analysis is less expensive, more convenient, and faster than testing milk samples from individual animals or groups of cows.

In vitro antimicrobial inhibition of Mycoplasma bovis isolates submitted to the Pennsylvania Animal Diagnostic Laboratory using flow cytometry and a broth microdilution method.

Mycoplasma bovis is an important pathogen of cattle, causing mastitis, pneumonia, conjunctivitis, otitis, and arthritis. Currently there are only a few reports of sensitivity levels for M. bovis isolates from the United States. Mycoplasma bovis isolates submitted to the Pennsylvania Animal Diagnostic Laboratory between December 2007 and December 2008 (n = 192) were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility to enrofloxacin, erythromycin, florfenicol, spectinomycin, ceftiofur, tetracycline, and oxytetracycline using a broth microdilution method. The most effective antimicrobials against M. bovis determined by using the broth microdilution method were florfenicol, enrofloxacin, and tetracycline with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranges of 2-32 µg/ml, 0.1-3.2 µg/ml, and 0.05 to >12.8 µg/ml, respectively. Spectinomycin, oxytetracycline, and tetracycline showed a wide-ranging level of efficacy in isolate inhibition with broth microdilution with MIC ranges of 4 to >256 µg/ml, 0.05 to >12.8 µg/ml, and 0.05 to >12.8 µg/ml, respectively. A significant difference in the susceptibility levels between quarter milk and lung isolates was found for spectinomycin. When MIC values of a subset of the M. bovis isolates (n=12) were tested using a flow cytometric technique, the MIC ranges of enrofloxacin, spectinomycin, ceftiofur, erythromycin, tetracycline, oxytetracycline, and florfenicol ranges were 0.1-0.4 µg/ml, 4 to >256 µg/ml, >125 µg/ml, >3.2 µg/ml, <0.025 to >6.4 µg/ml, 0.8 to >12.8 µg/ml, and <2-4 µg/ml, respectively. Flow cytometry offers potential in clinical applications due to high-throughput capability, quick turnaround time, and the objective nature of interpreting results.

Blinded, controlled field trial of two commercially available Mycoplasma bovis bacterin vaccines in veal calves.

Mycoplasma bovis is an etiologic agent of pneumonia, arthritis, and otitis in young calves, such as those found in the special-fed veal industry. We conducted a blinded, controlled trial of two commercially available M. bovis bacterin vaccines for the prevention of respiratory disease in calves associated with M. bovis infection. Calves were randomly assigned to a subcutaneous treatment of vaccine A (n=50), adjuvant A (n=50), vaccine B (n=50), or 0.9% sterile saline solution (n=50) beginning at 27 days of age. Upper-respiratory tract colonization was not impacted by vaccination status. Vaccine A significantly reduced the presence of lung lesions (p=0.0325), however there was no significant reduction of M. bovis in lung lesions. Vaccine B did not significantly reduce total lung lesions or M. bovis-specific lung lesions. The relative risk was determined to be 0.56, 1.0, and 1.36 for vaccine A, adjuvant A, and vaccine B, respectively. There was no association between the total specific antibody isotype (IgM, IgG1, IgG2, IgA) concentrations or M. bovis antibodies and the M. bovis-associated morbidity in the veal calves. Under the field conditions of this study, observed vaccine efficacy for vaccine A and vaccine B was 44% and less than 1%, respectively.

Dissemination of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica Serovar Typhimurium var. Copenhagen clonal types through a contract heifer-raising operation.

Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium var. Copenhagen isolates from a heifer-raising operation and from 11 dairy herds that had their calves contracted to the heifer-raising operation were examined for their phenotypic and genotypic characteristics. Results of the study showed that the heifer-raising operation could serve as a clearinghouse for Salmonella serovar Typhimurium var. Copenhagen and perhaps other Salmonella serotypes.