TABLE 4.
Biofilm-forming capacity, presence of the locus of heat resistance, motility, and curli and cellulose expression by stage of processing (n = 500) or processing equipment (n = 200) for generic E. coli isolates collected in two federally inspected beef slaughter plants in Alberta
| Biofilm-forming capacity categorya | No. of isolates (no. with LHR) |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hide of carcass |
Hide-off carcass |
Beef products |
Processing equipment |
|||||
| MCCb | Not MCCc | MCC | Not MCC | MCC | Not MCC | MCC | Not MCC | |
| Non-biofilm forming | 21 | 46 (1 LHR) | 54 | 77 | 34 | 39 | 24 | 5 |
| Weak | 1 | 3 | 13 | 10 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| Moderate | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 13 | 1 |
| Strong | 8 | 5 | 10 | 22 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 5 |
| Very strong | 5 | 3 | 25 | 19 (5 LHR) | 1 | 3 | 5 | 0 |
| Extreme | 12 | 8 | 32 | 8 (2 LHR) | 1 | 1 | 138 | 1 |
| Total | 51 | 70 | 139 | 140 | 40 | 60 | 188 | 12 |
a
Biofilm-forming capacity is as follows: non-biofilm forming, x < ODc; weak, ODc < x < 2× ODc; moderate, 2× ODc < x < 4× ODc; strong, 4× ODc < x < 8× ODc; very strong, 8× ODc < x < 16× ODc; extreme, 16× ODc < x.
b
The isolate is motile and expresses both curli and cellulose.
c
The isolate does not have all three of the following characteristics: motility, expression of curli, and expression of cellulose.