Influence of transportation stress and animal temperament on fecal shedding of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in feedlot cattle.

ABSTRACT

To test the influence of transportation stress and temperament on shedding of Escherichia coli O157H7, cattle (n=150) were classified at various stages of production as Excitable, Intermediate or Calm based on a variety of disposition scores. Presence of E. coli O157H7 was determined by rectal swabs from live animals and from colons collected postmortem. Percentage of cattle shedding E. coli O157H7 at arrival at the feedlot was approximately equal among temperament groups. Before shipment to the processing facility, a higher (P=0.03) proportion of cattle from the Calm group shed E. coli O157H7 compared to the other temperament groups. When pooled across all sampling periods, cattle from the Calm group had a greater percentage test positive for E. coli O157H7. Neither the acute stressor of transportation nor a more excitable temperament led to increased shedding of E. coli O157H7 in cattle.