There may soon be an effective vaccine for E. coli, thanks to a team of University of Nebraska-Lincoln researchers - and all they had to do was dig through hundreds of samples of cow manure.
Faculty members and graduate students at UNL are testing the vaccine, intended to be administered to cattle. Attacking the E. coli infection at its source would eliminate the need for human vaccine injections.
"What it does is reduce the possibility for the bacteria to colonize the animals," said David Smith, an associate professor of veterinary and biomedical sciences. He also is one of four faculty members directly involved in the research.
Because cow feces is the most common source for indirect human exposure to E. coli, Smith said testing it was the best way to determine whether cattle were shedding the bacteria.
The manure can contaminate water supplies, slaughterhouses and agricultural products like spinach. Such was the case in the latest outbreak of the deadly bacteria that resulted in more than 180 reported cases of infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Karen Hansen, a graduate student in veterinary science, has been working with E. coli since before 2002, when UNL researchers began tests of the vaccine invented by professors at the University of British Columbia. Bioniche Life Sciences Inc. now owns the vaccine.
Hansen's master's thesis will analyze the vaccine's effectiveness, she said. Results of the preliminary studies show a 60 percent to 70 percent decrease in E. coli cases.
"This is a very significant reduction," she said.
The vaccine's trial should be finished by the end of the season. Researchers plan on sending their results to Bioniche before the year ends.
The vaccine creates antibodies that prevent E. coli from fastening to proteins in the cows' bodies. These proteins are also present in humans.
"(The bacteria) have a unique way of attaching to cells in the intestinal tract," Smith said. "They have this docking bay, like a space ship."
Cattle can carry E. coli without becoming ill. If the bacteria can't use the cows as hosts, it is much more difficult for E. coli to spread to humans.
Rodney Moxley, a professor of veterinary and biomedical sciences, said the vaccine appeals to the public more than it does to ranchers who would purchase it to treat their livestock.
"If you're talking about a disease that kills cattle outright … there's no question in their minds," he said. "(But E. coli) is not your typical problem to be vaccinated for."
Since the bacteria hold no risk for livestock, the primary benefit to cattle owners who administer the vaccine is most likely to increas trust in their product and industry, Moxley said.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which partially funded the UNL research, could pass a law requiring the vaccination.
"The USDA has been seeking for pre-harvest food safety strategies to be developed," Moxley said.
The university benefited from the research by receiving funds for indirect costs. It also enhanced the university's public image and gave graduate students another field of expertise to choose from.
As for Hansen, scouring feces for bacteria hasn't dampened her interest in the study.
"Most people would find it disgusting, but I don't," she said. "You kind of get used to it."
