The Relationship of the Characteristics of Feedlot Pens to the Percentage of Cattle Shedding \u3ci\u3eEscherichia coli\u3c/i\u3e O157:H7 Within the Pen
This study was designed to discover relationships between characteristics of feedlot pens and the percentage of cattle shedding Escherichia coli O157:H7. Twenty-nine pens from five Midwestern feedlots were each sampled once between June and September, 1999. Feces were collected from all cattle in each pen. E. coli O157:H7 was isolated from the feces of 714 of 3162 cattle tested (23%), including at least one animal from each of the 29 pens. Pen prevalence did not differ between feedyards, but did vary widely within feedyards. Muddy pens were more likely to have a higher pen prevalence than normal pens