Comparison of the prevalence of shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli strains O157 and O26 between beef and dairy cattle in Japan

With the aim of comparing the prevalence of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157 and O26 between beef and dairy cattle, we collected rectal content samples from 250 beef cattle on 25 beef farms and 250 dairy cows on 25 dairy farms from July through September 2011. STEC O157 was isolated from 16 beef cattle on 7 beef farms, while no STEC O157 was isolated from any dairy farms. This result suggests that the prevalence of STEC O157 is higher in beef cattle than in dairy cattle. STEC O26 was isolated from 1 animal each from beef and dairy cattle herds, and therefore, it was not possible to compare statistically the prevalence of STEC O26 in beef and dairy cattle.