Prevalence of Farm and Slaughterhouse Workers Carrying Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli in Korea

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to investigate the distribution of Shiga toxin (Stx) gene-positive stool samples from dairy farmer and slaughterhouse workers in Gyeonggi-Do province. METHODS A total of 621 samples from healthy farmers and 198 samples from slaughterhouse workers were screened by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for Shiga toxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC) infection on stool samples. RESULTS The PCR product of Stx-encoding genes was detected in 21 (3.4%) of 621 farmers and 15 (7.6%) of 198 slaughterhouse workers' stool samples. Distribution of the Stx PCR positive workers by age increment revealed an increase in STEC infection with age increment in both workers. Distribution of the Stx PCR positive workers by working years revealed an increase in STEC infection with working years in farmers. CONCLUSION These results of the study show that slaughterhouse workers are at higher risk of STEC infection than farmers. In addition, slaughterhouse workers have a more potential source of food contamination of STEC and transmission.