Pfizer Animal Health Offers E. Coli Vaccine

With food safety being top of mind in the meat industry, Pfizer Animal Health is reminding cattle producers that it offers the Escherichia Coli Bacterial Extract vaccine with SRP technology, which it claims is the only conditionally licensed product to help reduce E. coli O157 prevalence and shedding in cattle.

The vaccine, which Pfizer began marketing in January, uses animals' immune systems to help reduce the amount of E. coli O157 bacteria, making it the first of its kind in preharvest intervention options.

"The battle against E. coli O157 is not getting any easier," noted Brad Morgan, Ph.D., food safety and production enhancement specialist, Pfizer Animal Health Veterinary Operations.

"Right now, one of the greatest opportunities is in the area of preharvest," he said. "If we can reduce E. coli 0157 at the source, in cattle, it can allow the entire beef chain to do a better job."

From 2006 to 2008, there were, on average, 1.2 cases of laboratory-confirmed E. coli O157 infections per 100,000 people, according to data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services cited by Pfizer.