Seroprevalence Of Faecal Shedding Of Escherichia Coli O157:H7 From Exotic Dairy Cattle In North-Western Nigeria

Abstract

One thousand eight hundred feacal samples were collected from six diary herds in Kaduna and Sokoto States for the isolation and serological confirmation of enterohaemorrhagic E. coli O157:H7. The overall sero-prevalence rate was 0.9%. This rate was not dependent on season, breed, management and water quality; but was significantly associated statistically with the sex, diarrhea status and age of the animals. The prevalence of 0.9% in the exotic dairy cattle is low. A very large scale surveillance of livestock is needed to have a clearer picture of the occurrence and distribution of the enteropathogen.

Keywords: E. coli 0157:H7, Enterohaemorrhagic, Seroprevalence, Cattle

Nigerian Veterinary Journal Vol. 28 (2) 2007 pp. 6-11