TABLE 1:

Serogroups, isolation method and virulence factors of STEC isolated from faeces and hides of cattle at slaughter, with age of animals and mode of transportation to the abattoir

Age	Faecal samples						Hide samples					Transport
	Serogroup	Virulence factors					Serogroup	Virulence factors
18 months	O157*†			stx2c	eae	e-hlyA						Mixed
23 months	OND†		stx2a									Mixed
2 years							O157*		stx2c	eae	e-hlyA	Mixed
3 years	O157*			stx2c	eae	e-hlyA						Mixed
3 years	O157*†	stx1		stx2c	eae	e-hlyA						Mixed
3 years	O157*	stx1		stx2c	eae	e-hlyA						Mixed
3 years	O157*			stx2c	eae	e-hlyA	O157*†		stx2c	eae	e-hlyA	Mixed
4 years	O26*†	stx1			eae	e-hlyA						Mixed
4 years							O26*†	stx1		eae	e-hlyA	Mixed
4 years							O157*†		stx2c	eae	e-hlyA	Mixed
4 years	O157*†			stx2c	eae	e-hlyA						Mixed
4 years	O26*	stx1			eae	e-hlyA						Single
4 years	OND†		stx2a									Mixed
4 years	OND†		stx2a	stx2c	eae	e-hlyA						Mixed
5 years	O26*	stx1			eae	e-hlyA						Mixed
5 years	O157*			stx2c	eae	e-hlyA						Mixed
5 years	O111†	stx1			eae	e-hlyA						Mixed
6 years	O26*†	stx1			eae	e-hlyA						Single
7 years	O26*	stx1			eae	e-hlyA	O26*†	stx1		eae	e-hlyA	Mixed
7 years	O26*†	stx1			eae	e-hlyA						Mixed
7 years	O157*†			stx2c	eae	e-hlyA						Single
7 years	OND†	stx1	stx2a									Mixed
7 years	O157*			stx2c	eae	e-hlyA	O157*		stx2c	eae	e-hlyA	Mixed
15 years	O157*†			stx2c	eae	e-hlyA						Mixed

*IMS=immunomagnetic separation with O157 or O26 magnetic beads

†Screening PCR=screening of enrichment broths for Stx1 and Stx2 and isolation of STEC from PCR-positive broths by plating and testing of 50 colonies per sample

OND=O serogroup not determined with OKO antisera for common pathogenic Escherichia coli

IMS, immunomagnetic separation; STEC, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli