Vaccinating cattle against E. coli bacteria could cut the number of human infections by 85 percent, far higher than previous estimates, British scientists say.
The researchers reviewed the way that E. coli is transmitted from cattle to humans, noting that the risk of infection is particularly significant during the brief periods when cattle are "super-shedding" extremely large amounts of the bacteria in their feces.
"As far as we can assess, the major risk to humans is from those animals that are shedding the bug heavily," said Stuart Reid, senior study author and a principal at the Royal Veterinary College at the University of London. "If the vaccine has an impact on these animals at that time, the risk to humans is disproportionately reduced." http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_140753.html
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