ABSTRACT

Methods for detecting pathogens in the beef food chain: an overview Pina M. Fratamico, Joseph M. Bosilevac and John W. Schmidt, United States Department of Agriculture, USA

1 Introduction

2 Rapid methods for detecting pathogens in beef

3 Advantages and limitations of rapid methods

4 Detecting antibiotic resistance in pathogens

5 Summary and future trends

6 Where to look for further information

7 References

Pathogens of importance in beef include Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), especially STEC that cause haemorrhagic colitis and haemolytic uraemic syndrome known as enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC). Beef and dairy cattle are an important reservoir of STEC and EHEC belonging to a variety of serotypes (Presad and Lejeune, 2014). Salmonella are also carried by beef cattle and can cause illness in cattle when they are stressed due to transportation, crowding, food deprivation and other stresses (Stevens et al., 2009). Salmonella of multiple serotypes can carry antibiotic resistance genes, and when these infect humans, treatment of illnesses is more difficult. Antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) bacteria in general have become a high priority for all those involved in animal agriculture. Other pathogens that can be associated with beef but are of less impact are Campylobacter, Listeria monocytogenes, Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis and Clostridium difficile. Of these, the most rigorous testing of cattle, their environments and beef products is for E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella and non-O157 STEC. Furthermore, cattle and environments are often tested for AMR bacteria and Campylobacter.