TY - JOUR
T1 - Shiga toxin (stx) encoding genes in sheep and goats reared in Trinidad and Tobago
AU - Persad, Anil K.
AU - Rajashekara, Gireesh
AU - LeJeune, Jeffrey T.
N1 - No - The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The authors would like to acknowledge the assistance of Professor Abiodun Adesiyun from The University of the West Indies for providing laboratory space and facilitating the laboratory work. The authors would also like to thank Dr. Aphzal Mohammed, Mr. Narendra Siew, Dr. Hasani Stewart and Mr. Amar Soonar of The University of Trinidad and Tobago for their assistance in identification of farms and collection of faecal samples. The authors would also like to acknowledge the assistance of Michael Kauffman, Jennifer Schrock, Nicholas Anderson and Hannah Preston in conducting this study. Finally, we wish to thank the co-operating farmers.
PY - 2022/11
Y1 - 2022/11
N2 - Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is estimated to cause over two million cases of human disease annually. Trinidad and Tobago is one of the largest livestock producer and consumer of sheep and goat meat in the Caribbean, however, the potential role of these animals in the epidemiology of STEC infections has not been previously described. To fill this critical gap in knowledge, the prevalence of Shiga toxin genes (stx1 and stx2) shed in the faeces of healthy sheep (n = 204) and goats (n = 105) in Trinidad was investigated. Based on PCR screening, goats had a higher stx prevalence than sheep (46% vs 35%, P = 0.06). Most of the recovered STEC isolates were positive for stx1 only; and only three isolates were positive for the eae gene. None of the recovered isolates belonged to the O157 serogroup. In both species, the prevalence of stx was higher in young animals versus older animals. Sheep reared on deep litter flooring (43%) had a higher prevalence than sheep reared other flooring types, however this was not the same for goats. The presence of cows on the same premise was not an associated predictor for STEC carriage in sheep or goats. This study demonstrates that although sheep and goats in Trinidad are reservoirs for stx-positive E. coli isolates, no fecal samples tested positive for O157 STEC, harbored.
AB - Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is estimated to cause over two million cases of human disease annually. Trinidad and Tobago is one of the largest livestock producer and consumer of sheep and goat meat in the Caribbean, however, the potential role of these animals in the epidemiology of STEC infections has not been previously described. To fill this critical gap in knowledge, the prevalence of Shiga toxin genes (stx1 and stx2) shed in the faeces of healthy sheep (n = 204) and goats (n = 105) in Trinidad was investigated. Based on PCR screening, goats had a higher stx prevalence than sheep (46% vs 35%, P = 0.06). Most of the recovered STEC isolates were positive for stx1 only; and only three isolates were positive for the eae gene. None of the recovered isolates belonged to the O157 serogroup. In both species, the prevalence of stx was higher in young animals versus older animals. Sheep reared on deep litter flooring (43%) had a higher prevalence than sheep reared other flooring types, however this was not the same for goats. The presence of cows on the same premise was not an associated predictor for STEC carriage in sheep or goats. This study demonstrates that although sheep and goats in Trinidad are reservoirs for stx-positive E. coli isolates, no fecal samples tested positive for O157 STEC, harbored.
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U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0277564
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0277564
M3 - Article
C2 - 36378686
AN - SCOPUS:85142139307
SN - 1932-6203
VL - 17
JO - PloS one
JF - PloS one
IS - 11 November
M1 - e0277564
ER -