Influence of transportation stress and animal temperament on fecal shedding of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in feedlot cattle

To test the influence of transportation stress and temperament on shedding of Escherichia coli O157:H7, cattle (n = 150) were classified at various stages of production as Excitable, Intermediate or Calm based on a variety of disposition scores. Presence of E. coli O157:H7 was determined by rectal swabs from live animals and from colons collected postmortem. Percentage of cattle shedding E. coli O157:H7 at arrival at the feedlot was approximately equal among temperament groups. Before shipment to the processing facility, a higher (P = 0.03) proportion of cattle from the Calm group shed E. coli O157:H7 compared to the other temperament groups. When pooled across all sampling periods, cattle from the Calm group had a greater percentage test positive for E. coli O157:H7. Neither the acute stressor of transportation nor a more excitable temperament led to increased shedding of E. coli O157:H7 in cattle.