Research Support

Besser Publications    
    

Brief Statement of Research Interests
Control of zoonotic food and water-borne bacterial agents in the animal reservoir, with specific attention to the ecology and epidemiology of these agents in reservoir animal populations.

Education

Research Support

Ongoing Research Support

1. Besser TE and Sischo WM 10/2005 – 9/2008. USDA NRI Epidemiologic Approaches to Food Safety Dissemination of cephalosporin resistance genes.: Role: Co-Principal Investigator

2. Besser (PI) 2001-02147 11/1/01 – 10-31-05 USDA NRI Epidemiologic approaches to food safety. USDA NRI 2001-02147 ‘Clonal dissemination of antimicrobial resistant Campylobacter jejuni and Escherichia coli’. This study will evaluate the geographic and temporal distibution of MDR strains of these enteropathogenic bacteria in cattle populations in Washington and California Role: PI (10% commitment)

3. Tarr (PI) 1 11/1/99 – 10/30/05 NIH/NAIAD: R01 AI47499 ‘Evolution of virulence by gene acquisition’ Comparison of different enterohemorrhagic E. coli lineages for expression of virulence genes in vivo in children and cattle Role: Co-investigator

4. Sischo (PI) Besser Moore 10/2004 – 9/2007 USDA Integrated Food Safety program ‘Reducing the use of antibiotics and the incidence of antibiotic resistance on calf ranches’ This research will perform a series of field trials targeting the most common conditions requiring antibiotic use on calf ranches, and disseminate the findings to farmers and veterinarians. Role: Co-investigator

Completed Research Support (last 5 years)

1. Besser TE (P.I.) 10/1/98 – 9/30/00. USDA NRICGP Animal genetic mechanisms and gene mapping. The molecular basis of colostrum formation in cattle. Critical evaluation of the role of FcRn in IgG transport into mammary secretions of cattle.

2. C Gay (P.I.) 1/1/98-12/31/00. USDA Fund for Rural America. DT104 Salmonella: Emerging Impacts on Cattle, Farm Families and the Environment. Field epidemiology of Salmonella Typhimurium DT104 in PNW cattle populations. Role: Co-investigator

3. Hancock DD (PI) 10/1/98 – 9/30/01. US Food and Drug Association On-farm risk factors for zoonotic enteropathogens associated with cattle feed and water. Evaluation of indicator bacteria (fecal E. coli) in cattle feedstuffs as markers for prevalence of Salmonella and Escherichia coli O157:H7. Role: Co-investigator.

4. Besser TE (PI 10/1/99 – 9/30/01. USDA NRICGP Food Safety Epidemiology. Effect of water chlorination on prevalence of E. coli O157:H7 and Campylobacter in feedlot cattle. Field trial of the effect of water supply chlorination on the prevalence of zoonotic enteropathogenic bacteria in cattle.

5. Hancock (PI) 10/1/00-9/30/03. FDA CVM. Livestock feeds as a means of dissemination of antimicrobial resistant organisms and genes. This study is determining the extent to which clonal MDR strains of E. coli and Enterococcus are introduced to cattle herds via purchased feedstuffs. Role: Co-investigator

Original Research Refereed Publications

(Relevant earlier and all recent refereed publications, selected from 116 total refereed publications. Trainees underlined.)

1.  Paros M, Tarr PI, Kim H, Besser TE, Hancock DD:Comparison of human and bovine E. coli O157:H7 isolates by toxin genotype, plasmid profile and bacteriophage RFLP profile. J Infect Dis. 168:1300-1303, 1993.

2.  Hancock DD, Besser TE, Kinsel ML, Tarr PI, Rice DH, Paros MG: The prevalence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in dairy and beef cattle in Washington State. Epidemiology and Infection, 113:199-207, 1994.

3.  Kim HC, Samadpour, M, Grimm L, Clausen CR, Besser TE, Baylor M, Kobayashi JM, Neill MA, Schoenknecht FD, Tarr PI: Characteristics of antibiotic resistant Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Washington State, 1984 1991. J infect Dis 170:1606-9, 1994.

4. Rice DH, Hancock DD, Besser TE: Verotoxigenic E. coli O157 colonization of wild deer and range cattle. Veterinary Record. 137:524, 1995.

5. Sanderson MW, Gay JM, Hancock DD, Fox LK, Gay CC, Besser TE: Sensitivity of detection of bacteriologic culture for detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in bovine feces. J Clin Microbiol, 33:2616-19, 1995.

6. Rice DH, Hancock DD, Vetter RL, Besser TE: 1996. Escherichia coli O157 infection in a human linked to exposure to infected livestock. Veterinary Record. 138:311.

7. Besser TE, Hancock DD, Pritchett LC, McRae EM, Rice DH, Tarr PI. Duration of detection of fecal excretion of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in cattle. J. Infectious Diseases 175:726-9, 1997.

8. Besser TE, Gay CC, Gay JM, Hancock DD, Rice D, Pritchett LC, Erickson ED. Salmonellosis associated with Salmonella Typhimurium DT104 in the USA. Vet Record 140:75, 1997.

9. Besser TE, Hancock DD, LeJeune JT, Park J-H. Environmental reservoirs of Escherichia coli O157:H7 on cattle farms. Korean J. Veterinary Public Health 21:65-73, 1997.

10. Hancock DD, Rice DH, Herriot DE, Besser TE: A longitudinal study of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in fourteen cattle herds. Epidemiology and Infection 118:193-5, 1997.

11. Hancock DD, Rice DH, Herriot DE, Besser TE, Ebel EE, Carpenter LV: Effects of farm manure handling practices on Escherichia coli O157 prevalence in cattle. J Food Protection 60:363-6, 1997.

12. Hancock DD, Rice DH, Herriot DE, Thomas LA, Dargatz DA, Besser TE: Epidemiology of shiga-like toxin producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 in feedlot cattle. J Food Protection 60:462-5, 1997.

13. O’Rourke KI, Holyoke GR, Clark WW, Mickelson JR, Wang S, Melco RP, Besser TE, Foote WC. PrP genotypes and experimental scrapie in orally inoculated Suffolk sheep in the United States. J General Virology 78:975-8, 1997.

14. Rice DH, Besser TE, Hancock DD. Epidemiology and virulence assessment of Salmonella dublin. Veterinary Microbiology 56:111-124, 1997.

15. Rice DH, Ebel ED, Hancock DD, Besser TE, Herriott DE, Carpenter LV. Escherichia coli O157 in cull dairy cows on farm and at slaughter. J. Food Protection. J. Food Protection 60:1-12, 1997.

16. Tarr PI, Besser TE, Hancock DD, Keene WE, Goldoft M. Verotoxigenic Escherichia coli Infection: United States Overview. J. Food Protection, 60:1466-1471. 1997.

17. Hancock DD, Besser TE, Rice DH, Ebel ED, Herriott DE, Carpenter LV. 1998. Multiple sources of Escherichia coli O157 in feedlots and dairy farms in the Pacific Northwest. Prev Vet Med 35:11-19.

18. Herriott DE, Hancock DD, Ebel ED, Carpenter LV, Rice DH, Besser TE. 1998. Association of herd management factors with colonization of dairy cattle by Shiga toxin-positive Escherichia coli O157. J Food Protect 61:802- 807.

19. Krytenburg D, Hancock DD, Rice DH, Besser TE, Gay CC. Gay JM. 1998. Salmonella enterica contamination of cattle feeds in the Pacific northwestern USA. Animal Feed Sci Tech. 75:75-79.

20. Lynn TV, Hancock DD, Besser TE, Harrison JH, Rice DH, Stewart NT, Rowan LL. 1998. The occurrence and replication of Escherichia coli in cattle feeds. J Dairy Sci 81:1102-1108.

21. Rice, DH, KM McMenamin, LC Pritchett, DD Hancock, Besser TE. 1999. Genetic diversity of Escherichia coli O157 isolates from 41 Pacific Northwest cattle herds. Epidemiol Infect 122:479-84.

22. Sanderson MW, Besser TE, Gay JM, Gay CC, Hancock DD. Fecal Escherichia coli O157:H7 shedding patterns of orally inoculated calves. Vet Microbiol, 69:199-205, 1999.

23. Davis MA, Hancck DD, Besser TE, Rice DH, Gay JM, Gay C, Gerarhart L, DiGiacomo R. Changes in Antimicrobial resistance among Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimuirum isolates form humans an cattle in the Northwestern US 1982-1997. Emerg Infect Dis. 5:802-806, 1999.

24. O’Rourke K, Besser TE, et al. PrP genotypes of captive and free-ranging Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni) with chronic wasting disease. J Gen Virol 80:2765, 1999.

25. Tarr PI, Bilge SS, Bary JC, Jelacic S, Habeeb RL, Ward TR, Baylor MR, and Besser TE. 2000. Iha: a novel Escherici\hia coli O157:H7 adnerence confderring molecule encoded on a chromosomal region of conserveds structure. Infection and Immunity, 68: 1400-1407.

26. Besser TE, Goldoft M, Pritchett LC, Khakhria R, Hancock DD, Rice DH, Gay JM, Johnson W, Gay CC. Multiresistant Salmonella Typhimuirum DT104 infections of humans and domestic animals in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Epidemiology and Infection, 124:193-200, 1999.

27. Pritchett LC, Konkel ME, Gay JM, Besser TE. Identification of Dt104 and U302 phage types among Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium by PCR. J Clin Microbiol. 38:3484-8, 2000.

28. Tarr PI, Bilge SS, Bary JC, Jelacic S, Habeeb RL, Ward TR, Baylor MR, and Besser TE. 2000. Iha: a novel Escherici\hia coli O157:H7 adnerence confderring molecule encoded on a chromosomal region of conserved structure. Infection and Immunity, 68: 1400-1407.

29. Foreyt WJ, Besser TE, Lonning SM. Mortality in captive elk due to Salmonella typhimuirum DT104 infection. J Wildlife Dis. 37(2) 2001.

30. LeJeune JT, Rice DH, Hancock DD, Besser TE. Methods for Isolation of waterborne Escherichia coli O157. Lett Appl Microbiol, 32: 1-5, 2001.

31. Besser TE, Richards BL, Rice DH, Hancock DD. Escherichia coli O157:H7 infection of calves: Infectious dose and direct contact transmission. Epidemiol Infect, 127:555-60, 2001.

32. LeJeune JT, Hancock DD, Besser TE. Cattle water troughs as reservoirs of Escherichia coli O157. Applied Environ Microbiol, 67:3053-60, 2001.

33. Van Donkersgoed J, Berg J, Potter A, Hancock D, Besser TE, Rice DH, LeJeune JT, Klashinsky S. Environmental sources and transmission of E. coli O157 in feedlot cattle. Can J Vet Res, 42:714-20, 2001.

34. LeJeune JT, Rice DH, Besser TE, Hancock DD. Microbiology and the Factors Influencing the Quality of Drinking Water Offered to Cattle. J Dairy Sci, 84-1856-62, 2001.

35. Hancock D, Besser T, Lejeune J, Davis M, Rice D. The control of VTEC in the animal reservoir. Int J Food Microbiol 66:71-8, 2001.

36. Hancock D, Besser T, Lejeune J, Davis M, Rice D. The control of VTEC in the animal reservoir. Int J Food Microbiol 66:71-8, 2001.

37. Middleton JR, Fox LK, Gay JM, Tyler JW, Besser TE. Influence of Staphylococcus aureus strain-type on mammary quarter milk somatic cell count and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase activity in cattle from eight dairies. J Dairy Sci. 2002 May;85(5):1133-40.

38. Middleton JR, Fox LK, Gay JM, Tyler JW, Besser TE. 2002. Use of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis for detecting differences in Staphylococcus aureus strain populations between dairy herds with different cattle importation practices. Epidemiology and Infection. 129:387-395.

39. Davis MA, Hancock DD, Besser TE. Multiresistant clones of Salmonella enterica: The importance of dissemination. J Lab Clin Med. 2002 Sep;140(3):135-41.

40. Gally DL, Naylor SW, Low JC, Gunn GJ, Synge BA, Pearce MC, Donachie W, Besser TE. 2003. Colonisation site of E coli O157 in cattle. Vet Rec. 152:307.

41. Naylor SW, Low JC, Besser TE, Mahajan A, Gunn GJ, Pearce MC, McKendrick IJ, Smith DG, Gally DL. 2003. Lymphoid follicle-dense mucosa at the terminal rectum is the principal site of colonization of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 in the bovine host. Infect Immun. 71:1505-12.

42. Call DR, Borucki MK, Besser TE. 2003. Mixed-genome microarrays reveal multiple serotype and lineage-specific differences among strains of Listeria monocytogenes. J Clin Microbiol. 41:632-9.

43. Rice DH, Hancock DD, Besser TE. 2003. Faecal culture of wild animals for Escherichia coli O157:H7. Vet Rec. 152:82-3.

44. Rice DH, Hancock DD, Roozen PM, Szymanski MH, Scheenstra BC, Cady KM, Besser TE, Chudek PA. 2003. Household contamination with Salmonella enterica. Emerg Infect Dis. 9:120-2.

45. Wang H-F, Swain JB, Besser TE, Jasmer D, Wyatt CR. 2003. Detection of antibodies to a recombinant Cryptosporidium parvum P23 in serum and feces from neonatal calves. J Parasitol 89:918–923.

46. Besser TE, Hancock D, Davis MA. 2003. The veterinarian's role in controlling the emergence and dissemination of drug-resistant bacteria. J Vet Med Educ. 30:136-9.

47. Davis MA, Hancock DD, Rice DH, Call DR, DiGiacomo R, Samadpour M, Besser TE. 2003. Feedstuffs as a vehicle of cattle exposure to Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella enterica. Vet Microbiol. 95:199-210.

48. Davis MA, Hancock DD, Besser TE, Call DR. 2003 Evaluation of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis as a tool for determining the degree of genetic relatedness between strains of Escherichia coli O157:H7. J Clin Microbiol. 41:1843-9.

49. Haack JP, Jelacic S, Besser TE, Weinberger E, Kirk DJ, McKee GL, Harrison SM, Musgrave KJ, Miller G, Price TH, Tarr PI. 2003. Escherichia coli O157 exposure in Wyoming and Seattle: Serologic evidence for rural risk. Emerging Infectious Diseases 9(10):1226-31.

50. Davis MA, Hancock DD, Besser TE, Rice DH, Hovde CJ, Digiacomo R, Samadpour M, Call DR. 2003. Correlation between geographic distance and genetic similarity in an international collection of bovine faecal Escherichia coli O157:H7 isolates. Epidemiol. Infect. 131:923–930.

51. Khachatryan A, Hancock DD, Besser TE, Call DR. 2003. The role of calf-adapted Escherichia coli in maintenance of antimicrobial resistance in dairy calves. Appl Environ Microbiol. 70(2):752-7.

52. LeJeune JT, Besser TE, Rice DH, Berg J, Stilborn R, Hancock DD, 2003. Longitudinal study of fecal shedding of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in feedlot cattle: Predominance and persistence of specific clonal types despite massive cattle population turnover. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 70(1):377-84

53. DeFrancesco KA, Cobbold RN, Rice DH, Besser TE, Hancock DD. 2004. Antimicrobial resistance of commensal Escherichia coli from dairy cattle associated with recent salmonellosis outbreaks. Veterinary Microbiology. 98:55-61.

54. O’Rourke KI, Spraker TR, Hamburg LK, Besser TE, Brayton KA, Knowles DP. 2004. Polymorphisms in the prion precursor functional gene but not the pseudogene are associated with susceptibility to chronic wasting disease in white-tailed deer, Journal of General Virology 85, 1339–1346.

55. Bae WK, Kaya KN, Hancock DD, Call DR, Park YH, Besser TE. 2005. Prevalence and Antimicrobial Resistance of Thermophilic Campylobacter spp. from Cattle Farms in Washington State. Applied Environ. Microbiol. 71:169-174.

56. Wright JG, Tengelsen LA, Smith KE, Bender JB, Frank RK, Grendon JH, Rice DH, Thiessen AM, Gilbertson CJ, Sivapalasingam S, Barrett TJ, Besser TE, Hancock DD, Angulo FJ. 2005. Multidrug-resistant Salmonella Typhimurium in four animal facilities. Emerg Infect Dis. 11:1235-41.

57. Besser TE, LeJeune JT, Rice DH, Berg J, Stilborn RP, Kaya KN, Bae W, Hancock DD. 2005. Increasing prevalence of Campylobacter jejuni in feedlot cattle through the feeding period. Accepted for publication, Appl. Environ Microbiol.

58. Call DR, Kang M-S, Daniels J, Besser TE. Assessing genetic diversity in plasmids from Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica using a mixed-plasmid microarray. Accepted for publication, Journal of Applied Microbiology.

59. Cobbold RN, Rice DH, Davis MA, Besser TE, Hancock DD. 2005. Long-term Persistence of Multi-drug resistant (MDR) Salmonella enterica Serovar Newport in Two Washington Dairy Herds. Accepted for publication, J Am Vet Med Assoc.

60. Khachatryan AR, Hancock DD, Besser TE, Call DR. 2005. Antimicrobial Drug Resistance Genes do not Convey Secondary Fitness Advantage to Calf-Adapted Escherichia coli. Accepted for publication, Appl. Environ. Microbiol.