Abstract
For approximately 10,000 years, cattle have been our major source of meat and dairy. However, cattle are also a major reservoir for dangerous foodborne pathogens that belong to the Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) group. Even though STEC infections in humans are rare, they are often lethal, as treatment options are limited. In cattle, STEC infections are typically asymptomatic and STEC is able to survive and persist in the cattle GIT by escaping the immune defenses of the host. Interactions with members of the native gut microbiota can favor or inhibit its persistence in cattle, but research in this direction is still in its infancy. Diet, temperature and season but also industrialized animal husbandry practices have a profound effect on STEC prevalence and the native gut microbiota composition. Thus, exploring the native cattle gut microbiota in depth, its interactions with STEC and the factors that affect them could offer viable solutions against STEC carriage in cattle.
Highlights
The domestication of cattle, approximately 10,000 years ago [1], brought a stable supply of protein to the human diet, which was instrumental for the building of our societies
The serotype O157:H7 belongs to the enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) group and is part of the bigger group of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC)
direct-fed microbials (DFMs) offer a promising alternative, as they have been implicated as important agents preventing the colonization of E. coli O157:H7 [18,20,21]; they play important roles in host nutrition, as they can protect against ruminal acidosis and they have beneficial immunomodulatory effects [22,23]
Summary
The domestication of cattle, approximately 10,000 years ago [1], brought a stable supply of protein to the human diet, which was instrumental for the building of our societies. As the earth’s population continued to grow, nutritional demands increased, pushing us towards industrial farming approaches, which can increase meat and dairy production. One of the most dangerous foodborne pathogens that is occasionally present in cattle GIT is the enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli serotype O157:H7. This review aims to gather existing knowledge in the areas of STEC carriage in bovine hosts and the strategies to control it, and to highlight the potential of the native microbial symbionts of cattle to prevent zoonotic STEC from colonizing the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). We present literature on STEC carriage in bovine hosts, and relevant information on members of the native GIT bacterial community, bacteriophages and ciliate protozoa, which are the groups that offer the greatest potential for inhibiting STEC. By comparing STEC and GIT microbiota and discussing the underlying mechanisms that affect their prevalence and abundance, we attempt to highlight the entangled, often hidden relationships between STEC and microbiota, which we could potentially use to prevent STEC carriage
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