新疆牛、羊和骆驼源产志贺毒素大肠埃希菌的系统进化分群、血清群与毒力基因及耐药性分析

旨在了解新疆牛、羊和骆驼源产志贺毒素大肠埃希菌（Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli,STEC）的系统进化分群、血清群、毒力基因、耐药性及其遗传多样性,本研究采用PCR方法对牛、羊和骆驼源STEC进行了系统发育分群、血清群和毒力基因stx₁、stx₂（包括亚型）、eaeA、hlyA检测,通过K-B纸片法对分离株进行药物敏感性检测,并对其进行ERIC-PCR基因分型。结果表明：94株非O157 STEC以B1群为主,含9个血清群,包括O146（n=14）、O22（n=7）、O3（n=4）、O168（n=4）、O8（n=3）、O167（n=2）、O88（n=1）、O112ab （n=1）和O147（n=1）。毒力基因检测显示,46.8%（44/94）仅携带stx₁,6.4%（6/94）仅携带stx₂,46.8%（44/94）同时携带stx₁+stx₂。羊源STEC以携带stx₁+hlyA为主（68.0%）;牛源STEC以携带stx₁+stx₂+hlyA为主（57.9%）;骆驼源STEC以携带stx₁+hlyA为主（25.0%）。stx_1a主要分布于牛源STEC,stx_1c主要分布于羊源STEC。14株（14.9%）为耐药菌,对头孢他啶、四环素、头孢噻肟、氨苄西林和氨曲南的耐药率为3.2%~5.3%,对复方新诺明、头孢吡肟、哌拉西林-他唑巴坦、氨苄西林-舒巴坦、阿莫西林-克拉维酸和多黏菌素B的耐药率为1.1%~2.1%。ERIC-PCR结果显示牛、羊和骆驼源STEC亲缘关系较近。牛、羊和骆驼携带多种已知血清群STEC,贮存丰富的毒力基因,存在感染人类的风险,应在屠宰加工过程中予以预防和控制。     

藏系绵羊源沙门菌和产志贺毒素大肠埃希菌的分离与PCR鉴定

为研究外观健康藏系绵羊携带沙门菌和产志贺毒素大肠埃希菌情况,对采自外观健康藏系绵羊的19份肛门拭子进行大肠埃希菌和沙门菌分离鉴定.用选择性培养基及普通PCR方法共分离鉴定出1株沙门菌和13株大肠埃希菌,其中产志贺毒素大肠埃希菌4株,3株含有产志贺毒素基因Stx 1,1株含有产志贺毒素基因Stx 2,沙门菌invA基因和产志贺毒素大肠埃希菌Stx基因同源性分析表明,分离株沙门菌的invA与NCBI上已登录的5种血清型沙门菌核苷酸序列同源性为99.8％,4株产志贺毒素大肠埃希菌与NCBI上已登录菌株的核苷酸序列同源性都大于95％.本研究结果为高原地区藏系绵羊源沙门菌和产志贺毒素大肠埃希菌的流行病学调查奠定了基础.     

某定点肉牛屠宰场中非O157致病性STEC的分离鉴定

为了了解新疆伊犁地区肉牛屠宰过程中大肠杆菌的污染情况，检测非O157致病性产志贺毒素大肠杆菌（Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli，STEC）的感染情况，本试验采集新疆伊犁地区某定点肉牛屠宰场中屠宰肉牛的粪样和屠宰后的胴体表面拭子，并对样品进行了大肠杆菌的分离鉴定、毒力基因（eae、stx1、stx2）的PCR检测、O157鉴定（rfbE）、ERIC-PCR基因分型和小鼠致病性试验。结果显示，在采集的45份样品中分离鉴定出42株大肠杆菌，分离率为93.3%。其中2株菌株同时编码了毒力基因stx1和stx2，检出率为4.8%，毒力基因eae未被检出。PCR鉴定均为非O157 STEC。ERIC-PCR基因分型检测发现，2株菌的基因型非常相似，同源关系密切。对小鼠进行腹腔注射攻毒，攻菌6 h后，小鼠开始出现死亡，立即解剖死亡小鼠发现，其肠道出血，肝脏、脾脏、肾脏明显出血肿大，解剖对照小鼠表现正常，表明菌株具有一定的致病性。综上所述，在肉牛屠宰过程中存在大肠杆菌污染，其中粪便中非O157 STEC菌株对胴体造成了污染，需要加强控制肉牛的屠宰加工关键环节的环境卫生。     

牛源产志贺毒素大肠杆菌分离株的毒力基因分布和遗传进化分析

为了探讨牛源产志贺毒素大肠杆菌（Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli,STEC）分离株在毒力基因分布和遗传进化方面与人源EHEC O157菌株之间的关系,本试验选择收集来自江苏某奶牛场的STEC菌株18株以及人源、羊源、猪源、禽源STEC参考菌株9株,参照美国疾病预防控制中心PulseNet推荐的方法,运用XbaⅠ酶进行酶切并完成脉冲肠凝胶电泳（PFGE）分型和聚类分析;同时对部分STEC菌株进行毒力基因检测。结果表明,经毒力基因检测,不同来源的O157菌株毒力基因分布不尽相同,其中牛源STEC O157与参考株EHEC O157∶H7（EDL933W）的基因排谱最为相近;牛源STEC O18和O26的基因排谱与参考株EHEC O157∶H7（EDL933W）类似,但存在部分基因的缺失。对27株不同来源的STEC分离株进行PFGE,产生了22种不同的酶切图谱。总体来看,不同来源的STEC Dice相似性系数在72%~100%之间。牛源O157分离株与猪源及禽源O157菌株的相似度偏低,而与两株人源O157分离株的相似度偏高,Dice相似性系数在83%~95%之间,牛源O26（克隆群Ⅶ、Ⅷ）与人源O157的相似性系数 > 82%。显然,从牛群中分离到的部分STEC菌株与人源EHEC O157具有较近的遗传进化关系。     

牛源非O157产志贺毒素大肠埃希菌耐药基因和毒力基因发生共转移

为探究牛源非O157产志贺毒素大肠埃希菌(STEC)的耐药基因与毒力基因是否发生共转移,本研究采用PCR方法对29株牛源非O157 STEC利用"Top six"血清群筛查、系统进化分群和毒力基因检测,结果显示31.03%(9/29)STEC为O145血清群;系统进化分群以A群为主(68.97%);75.86%(22/29)STEC的毒力基因谱为stx1a+stx2a+ehxA。采用K-B法测定STEC的抗生素敏感性,通过PCR及测序检测耐药基因bla TEM、bla CTX、bla SHV、tetA、tetE、tetG、sulI、cmlAI、aadAI和aac(3)-IV,利用多重PCR方法对耐药菌进行质粒分型、接合试验确认耐药基因和毒力基因是否发生水平转移。结果显示,29株STEC对四环素、复方新诺明、氯霉素、链霉素、氨苄西林、头孢噻肟、头孢他啶和氨曲南的耐药率在13.79%～27.59%,对庆大霉素、哌拉西林、阿莫西林/克拉维酸、氨苄西林-舒巴坦和阿米卡星的耐药率在6.90%～10.34%。共检测出8株耐药菌(27.59%),且均呈多重耐药表型,对4～13种抗生素耐药。8株耐药菌均携带四环素耐药基因tetA(未检测出其他耐药基因)和质粒incA/C并可转移至受体菌E. coli J53,其中6株可将毒力基因stx1a、stx2a和ehxA共转移至E. coli J53。以上结果表明牛源非O157 STEC存在较严重的耐药情况。本研究首次揭示耐药基因和毒力基因在非O157 STEC中发生共转移,为进一步研究二者共转移机制奠定基础。     

牦牛隐性乳房炎主要病原菌及耐药和毒力基因分布情况

为探明牦牛隐性乳房炎（SCM）主要病原菌及其耐药和毒力基因的分布情况，本研究自甘肃省甘南州夏季牧场收集无乳房炎临床症状牦牛乳样，通过兰州乳房炎试验（LMT）筛选SCM乳样，从中分离病原菌并纯化培养，利用16S rDNA鉴定主要病原菌，通过纸片扩散法判定其药物敏感性，并采用PCR方法对相关耐药及毒力基因进行检测。结果显示，共筛选出牦牛SCM乳样324份，检出率14.43%；主要病原菌为葡萄球菌属、埃希氏菌属和肠球菌属，其中葡萄球菌分离株对青霉素和四环素耐药率最高，分别为59.57%和47.52%；大肠埃希氏菌分离株对四环素和氨苄西林耐药率最高，分别为43.40%和20.75%；粪肠球菌分离株对四环素和红霉素耐药率最高，分别为25.00%和16.67%；59株耐青霉素金黄色葡萄球菌中共检出MRSA 12株，其中7株携带mecA基因，5株含mecC基因；四环素外排泵基因tetK、tetA携带率最高（85.45%、56.36%），核糖体保护基因tetM携带率最低（34.55%）；毒力基因中，clfA、clfB、fib、coa基因检出率较高（87.64%、84.27%、83.15%、82.02%）。研究表明，牦牛SCM的主要病原菌为金黄色葡萄球菌和大肠埃希氏菌，均对青霉素类和四环素类抗生素耐药性较高，其中金黄色葡萄球菌的主要毒力因子为黏附因子和凝固酶。     

某定点肉牛屠宰场中非O157致病性STEC的分离鉴定

为了了解新疆伊犁地区肉牛屠宰过程中大肠杆菌的污染情况,检测非O157致病性产志贺毒素大肠杆菌(Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli,STEC)的感染情况,本试验采集新疆伊犁地区某定点肉牛屠宰场中屠宰肉牛的粪样和屠宰后的胴体表面拭子,并对样品进行了大肠杆菌的分离鉴定、毒力基因(eae、stx1、stx2)的PCR检测、O157鉴定(rfbE)、ERIC-PCR基因分型和小鼠致病性试验。结果显示,在采集的45份样品中分离鉴定出42株大肠杆菌,分离率为93.3%。其中2株菌株同时编码了毒力基因stx1和stx2,检出率为4.8%,毒力基因eae未被检出。PCR鉴定均为非O157STEC。ERIC-PCR基因分型检测发现,2株菌的基因型非常相似,同源关系密切。对小鼠进行腹腔注射攻毒,攻菌6h后,小鼠开始出现死亡,立即解剖死亡小鼠发现,其肠道出血,肝脏、脾脏、肾脏明显出血肿大,解剖对照小鼠表现正常,表明菌株具有一定的致病性。综上所述,在肉牛屠宰过程中存在大肠杆菌污染,其中粪便中非O157STEC菌株对胴体造成了污染,需要加强控制肉牛的屠宰加工关键环节的环境卫生。     

蛋源大肠埃希菌的分离鉴定及毒力基因和耐药基因检测

为了调查鸡蛋中大肠埃希菌的感染情况,为生产实践提供参考,从昆明市区鸡蛋中分离出了3株大肠埃希菌,并对其毒力基因、耐药基因、动物致病性及药物敏感性进行了研究。结果表明,菌株KM1携带的毒力基因检出率75%,耐药基因检出率77.3%;菌株KM2携带的毒力基因和耐药基因检出率居中;菌株KM3毒力基因检出率91.7%,耐药性基因检出率50%。动物毒力检测结果 KM1为不致病菌株,KM2为低致病菌株,KM3为中度致病菌株。药敏试验结果显示,分离菌株对头孢噻肟、头孢曲松钠敏感,对庆大霉素、氨苄西林等具有不同程度的耐药性。中草药对3株大肠埃希菌的抑制效果各有所不同,相比之下连翘与松针的效果较好。本试验为研究昆明市区鸡蛋中大肠埃希菌污染与防控提供了理论依据。     

致猪水肿病大肠埃希菌多重PCR检测方法的建立及应用

本研究旨在建立一种快速鉴定致猪水肿病大肠埃希菌的多重PCR检测方法.分别针对大肠埃希菌16S rDNA、志贺毒素Stx2e A亚基和菌毛F18ab A亚基保守序列设计合成3对特异性引物,优化多重PCR反应条件,并进行特异性和敏感性检测.结果显示,阳性对照菌株扩增产物大小分别为1 062、733和313 bp.特异性和灵敏性检测结果表明,与肠炎沙门菌、多杀性巴氏杆菌、胸膜肺炎放线杆菌、副猪嗜血杆菌、支气管败血波氏杆菌和猪链球菌等猪常见致病菌均无交叉反应;菌体直接扩增法最低检出量为1 875 CFU.利用建立的多重PCR检测方法对分离收集的128株大肠埃希菌进行鉴定,得到36株致猪水肿病大肠埃希菌,其中30株既有菌毛F18ab又产志贺毒素Stx2e,另外6株仅产志贺毒素Stx2e.结果表明,本试验所建立的多重PCR检测方法对致猪水肿病大肠埃希菌的快速诊断和流行病学调查具有一定的应用价值.     

应用质粒图谱分析大肠埃希氏菌毒力差异的研究

对1株无致病性鸡源大肠埃希氏菌（O21）和5株已知毒力强弱的大肠埃希氏菌（O2、O1、X2、148和O78）进行质粒图谱（PP）分析。结果表明这6个菌株属于不同的6种质粒谱型，其毒力的强弱与其所携带质粒的数量和大小有关，但不同毒力株间也有少数几条相同大小的谱带，试验结果表明PP图谱法可作为大肠埃希氏菌分型和鉴别其毒力的间接分子生物学方法。     

Detection and Analysis of Shiga Toxin-producing Escherichia coli Isolates from Cattle and Sheep Sources in Some Regions of Xinjiang,China

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli(STEC) is a new class of highly pathogenic food-borne pathogens carrying a prephage encoding one or two Shiga toxin genes. It has become an important public health issue that threatens human health. The present work aimed to characterize STEC strains isolated from cattle and sheep at various stages, in parts of Xinjiang, in terms of the presence of prevalence, genetic diversity, and antimicrobial susceptibility to 17 common antibiotics. Through amplification of four virulence genes (stx1, stx2, eae, hlyA)by PCR and ERIC-PCR genotyping to detection STEC isolates. In the present study, a total of 64 STEC strains were isolated from 431 samples from slaughterhouses, farms and markets. Of these, 31 (48.4%) of the isolates harbored stx1 + stx2, and only 29 (45.3%) of the isolates possessed stx1, only 4 (6.3%) of the isolates harbored stx2, and 1 isolates harbored all the 4 virulence genes. Drug sensitivity tests found that STEC strains displayed 7 antimicrobial resistance to midecamycin(61%), cephalothin(4.7%), cefoxitin(4.7%), ampicillin(3.1%), piperacillin(1.6%), tobramycin(1.6%), cefazolin(1.6%). The ERIC-PCR results showed a polymorphic distribution, which was divided into two clusters of A (36 strains) and B (28 strains). STEC strains isolated from cattle and sheep at various stages, in parts of Xinjiang, some of which might have the potential to cause food contamination and human diseases.     

Study on the Virulence Gene Distribution and Genetic Evolution of Cattle Shiga Toxin-producing Escherichia coli Isolates

This study was aimed to understand the relationship of virulence gene distribution and genetic evolution between cattle originated Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and human originated enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157. This experiment collected 18 strains STEC in a dairy farm from Jiangsu province and 9 STEC reference strains (human, sheep, swine and avian), according to the method of U.S. Centers for Disease Prevention and Control Center (PulseNet), using the XbaⅠ enzyme digestion and pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) analysis, virulence genes were detected in some STEC isolates. The virulence gene distribution of O157 from different origin was remarkably different. The cattle originated STEC O157 and the human originated EHEC O157:H7 (EDL933W) had the most similar virulence gene distribution. In contrast, virulence genes were lack in cattle STEC O18 and O26, even though the cattle STEC O18 and O26 had the similar genotype as human EHEC O157:H7 (EDL933W). PFGE of Xba Ⅰ digested chromosomal DNA from 27 isolates of STEC exhibited 22 profiles. In general,the Dice coefficients of different originated STEC ranged from 72% to 100%.Cattle STEC O157 had a high similarity with two strains of human originated EHEC O157, while a low similarity was demonstrated between cattle STEC O157 and STEC O157 of swine and avian. The Dice coefficients of the cattle STEC O157 and the two strains of human EHEC O157 ranged from 83% to 95%. The Dice coefficients of cattle STEC O26 (Ⅶ,Ⅷ) and the two strains of human EHEC O157 were more than 82%. Therefore, it was concluded that the cattle STEC O157 and human EHEC O157 had a closer relationship in terms of virulence gene distribution and in genetic evolution.     

京津冀部分地区致犊牛腹泻大肠杆菌毒力基因、耐药基因检测及药物敏感性分析

【目的】探明京津冀地区犊牛腹泻大肠杆菌毒力基因与耐药基因流行情况,筛选敏感药物。【方法】于2020年12月至2021年7月从京津冀地区部分牛场采集146份犊牛腹泻样本,通过细菌分离纯化、革兰氏染色镜检及16S rRNA测序进行大肠杆菌分离鉴定;采用PCR方法对分离菌进行毒力基因（F17、K99、F41、STa、stx1、irp2和fyuA基因）和耐药基因（aac（6'）-Ⅰb、bla_CTX-M、bla_TEM、OqxB、tetA和sul1基因）检测;采用K-B纸片法进行药物敏感性试验。【结果】分离菌在鉴别培养基上的生长形态及革兰氏染色镜检结果均符合大肠杆菌生理生化特性,分离菌16S rRNA测序结果呈单一峰值,对拼接序列在NCBI中进行BLAST比对后发现,与大肠杆菌相似性均>96%,确定分离菌为大肠杆菌。试验共分离鉴定大肠杆菌142株,其中有88株携带毒力基因,占61.97%（88/142）,毒力基因F17、K99、F41、STa、stx1、irp2、fyuA阳性率分别为24.65%、0.70%、0、2.11%、1.41%、45.07%和21.83%,其中F17、irp2、fyuA为优势毒力因子,同时携带多重毒力因子的大肠杆菌检出率较低。aac（6'）-Ⅰb、bla_CTX-M、bla_TEM、OqxB、tetA和sul1 6种耐药基因皆被检出,bla_TEM基因检出率最高,为45.77%,aac（6'）-Ⅰb和OqxB基因检出率最低,均为9.15%,分离菌株主要携带1~3种耐药基因。药物敏感性试验结果显示,142株分离菌对诺氟沙星敏感率最高,其次为环丙沙星,对青霉素敏感率为0,耐药现象严重,耐2种以上抗菌药物的菌株达86.62%。【结论】京津冀地区犊牛腹泻大肠杆菌毒力基因与耐药基因流行广泛,耐药普遍,多重耐药现象严重。本研究可为京津冀地区犊牛腹泻的防治提供理论依据。     

Escherichia coli O157:H7 and non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli in healthy cattle, sheep and swine herds in Northern Spain

Three-hundred and forty-five herds (17 swine, 122 dairy sheep, 124 beef and 82 dairy cattle) were investigated for prevalence of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC). Rectal faecal samples were selectively enriched and then examined by immunodetection techniques (Immunomagnetic Separation with anti-E. coli O157 Dynabeads, ImmunoMagnetic cell Separation (IMS) and automated enzyme-linked fluorescent immunoassay using VIDAS) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (rfbE and fliC genes) to assess the prevalence of E. coli O157:H7. Prevalence of non-O157 STEC was estimated by PCR screening for stx genes of 10 lactose-positive colonies grown on MacConkey agar after enrichment. PCR was used on all STEC isolates to detect stx(1), stx(2), eaeA and E-hlyA genes. Both immunodetection methods showed a moderate-good level of agreement (kappa = 0.649) but IMS showed 87.5% complementary sensitivity. Prevalence of positive herds for E. coli O157:H7 was estimated at 8.7% for sheep and 3.8% for cattle, whereas all the porcine herds tested negative. Non-O157 STEC were also absent from swine, but were isolated more frequently from ovine (50.8%) than bovine herds (35.9%). Within-herd prevalences of excretion of E. coli O157:H7 established by individual testing of 279 sheep (six herds) and 30 beef cattle (one herd) were 7.3% and 6.7% respectively. PCR analysis of 49 E. coli O157:H7 and 209 non-O157 isolates showed a different distribution of virulence genes. All E. coli O157:H7 were stx(2) gene-positive, eaeA was detected in 95.9%, and the toxigenic profile stx(2)/eaeA/E-hlyA was present in 75.5% of the isolates. Among the non-O157 STEC, prevalence of eaeA was significantly lower (5.3%) and E-hlyA was present in 50.2% of the isolates but only sporadically associated with eaeA. stx(2) was predominant in non-O157 isolates from cattle, whereas in sheep the combination stx(1)/stx(2) was more prevalent. This study demonstrated the wide distribution of STEC in ruminant herds, which represent an important reservoir for strains that pose a potential risk for human infections.     

Dissemination and persistence of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains on French dairy farms

Some Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli strains (STEC), and in particular E. coli O157:H7, are known to cause severe illness in humans. STEC have been responsible for large foodborne outbreaks and some of these have been linked to dairy products. The aim of the present study was to determine the dissemination and persistence of STEC on 13 dairy farms in France, which were selected out of 151 randomized dairy farms. A total of 1309 samples were collected, including 415 faecal samples from cattle and 894 samples from the farm environment. Bacteria from samples were cultured and screened for Shiga toxin (stx) genes by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). STEC isolates were recovered from stx-positive samples after colony blotting, and characterized for their virulence genes, serotypes and XbaI digestion patterns of total DNA separated by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Stx genes were detected in 145 faecal samples (35%) and 179 (20%) environmental samples, and a total of 118 STEC isolates were recovered. Forty-six percent of the STEC isolates were positive for stx1, 86% for stx2, 29% for intimin (eae-gene) and 92% for enterohemolysin (ehx), of which 16% of the STEC strains carried these four virulence factors in combination. Furthermore, we found that some faecal STEC strains belonged to serotypes involved in human disease (O26:H11 and O157:H7). PFGE profiles indicated genetic diversity of the STEC strains and some of these persisted in the farm environment for up to 12 months. A large range of contaminated samples were collected, in particular from udders and teats. These organs are potential sources for contamination and re-contamination of dairy cattle and constitute an important risk for milk contamination.     

陕西地区羊源致病性大肠杆菌耐药性分析与毒力基因检测

旨在了解陕西省部分地区腹泻羊源致病性大肠杆菌(E. coli)耐药性及毒力基因携带情况,本研究从10个养殖场采集54份腹泻羊拭子样品,经分离纯化、生化鉴定及16S rRNA基因序列分析,共分离得到50株E. coli,对分离菌进行药敏试验、耐药基因及毒力基因检测。结果显示,分离菌对氨苄西林、氟苯尼考和磺胺异噁唑耐药率达90%以上,且98%(49/50)为多重耐药菌,对8~11种抗生素耐药的菌株占68%(34/50),仅对美罗培南敏感。所有菌株均携带1~6种不同的耐药基因,其中,Sul1(64%)、TetA(34%)、bla_CTX-M(32%)携带率较高,未检测到bla_SHV。有5株产ESBLs的E. coli携带mcr-1耐药基因。毒力基因检测结果显示,98%(49/50)的菌株携带毒力基因,其中,etrA检出率最高,为80%(40/50)。综上表明,陕西省羊源E. coli多重耐药情况严峻,β-内酰胺类耐药基因与耐药表型不符,提示可能存在其他耐药机制,同时,分离菌具有复杂的毒力谱。本研究为陕西省羊源致病性E. coli感染的防控提供科学依据。     

The prevalence of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli in cattle and sheep in the lower North Island, New Zealand

AIM: To genotype Escherichia coli cultured from the faeces of healthy cattle and sheep in the lower North Island, in order to investigate the possible role of ruminants as a reservoir for Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) in New Zealand. METHODS: A total of 952 strains of E. coli were isolated on selective media, from faecal swabs from 319 animals (187 cattle and 132 sheep) from four sites in the Manawatu and Rangitikei regions of New Zealand. A multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to genotype the E. coli isolates, using amplification of Shiga toxin genes (stx1 and stx2) and the E. coli attaching and effacing gene (eae). RESULTS: Isolates of E. coli were cultured from swabs from 178/187 (95.2%) cattle and all 132 (100%) sheep. Ninety-nine (10.4%) of the isolates were stx1 only, 83 (8.7%) stx2 only, 33 (3.5%) stx1 and stx2, 23 (2.4%) stx1 and eae, one (0.1%) stx2 and eae, and 115 (12.1%) were eae only. Overall, 51 (27.3%) cattle and 87 (65.9%) sheep were stx-positive, whereas 69 (36.9%) cattle and 36 (27.3%) sheep were eae-positive. CONCLUSIONS: Both healthy cattle and sheep are asymptomatic reservoirs of STEC in New Zealand. Direct contact with cattle and sheep or consumption of water or foodstuffs contaminated with cattle of sheep faeces may represent a significant source of infection for humans.