Survival of E. coli O157 in pigs and meat processing environments

Project Details

Status: Active
Investment: $432,764
Commodity: Pork
Organization: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada - Lacombe
Investigator: Xianqin Yang

Infections with shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157:H7 can lead to life-threatening conditions and death in humans.

Why is this research important for Alberta ag?

Infections with shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157:H7 can lead to life-threatening conditions and death in humans. The organism has caused three major outbreaks associated with pork in Alberta since 2014, which is unusual compared to the low incidence of E. coli O157:H7 outbreaks associated with pork across the globe.

Ongoing work shows that clonal strains of E. coli O157:H7 can establish persistence on pig farms and E. coli O157:H7 from pigs have a distinct virulence profile compared to cattle isolates from Alberta and pig isolates elsewhere.

Unlike cattle, healthy pigs are not a recognized carrier of E. coli O157:H7. The repeated recovery of closely related E. coli O157:H7 from feces of health pigs suggests that some E. coli O157 strains may have evolved to allow their colonization of pigs for an extended period of time.

This research will determine the efficacy of control measures in pork processing facilities for control of E. coli O157 and related pathogens on pork.

What benefits can producers expect from this research?

This work will generate new knowledge to better understand the ecology of E. coli O157:H7 in pigs and identify ways to control it in abattoirs.

How will these research findings reach producers on-farm?

Results will be shared through scientific publications and conferences.