Search

Comparison of the carriage of ampicillin-resistant Escherichia coli with age and time in multiple cohorts of calves sampled monthly from birth on four farms is done. The presence of ampicillin-resistant E.coli in older cattle on all farms suggests that in some calves the decline is transient, with cattle reacquiring resistant bacteria at a later point due to environmental changes or management events on the farm.

Composite wild bird feces collected at regular intervals from a garden feeding station in southwest Scotland over a 3-year period were examined for verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli O157 causing infections in humans. The findings indicate that VTEC O157 appears and disappears from cattle herds over time, and it might be that local bird populations play a role in the spread of the organism between farms and possibly over larger distances due to migratory habits.

A unique view of the microbial ecology of an antimicrobial-resistant commensal Escherichia coli population within a large cohort of calves monitored intensively from birth is presented. Results reveal that calves are colonized by a succession of multiply resistant strains, with a probable environmental source, that disseminated through the cohort over time.