Kansas State University Professor T.G. Nagaraja notes ethanol plants and livestock producers have created a symbiotic relationship. Cattle producers feed their livestock distiller's grains, a byproduct of the ethanol distilling process, giving ethanol producers an added source of income.

"Distiller's grain is a good animal feed. That's why ethanol plants are often built next to feedlots," said Nagaraja, a professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology. But the growth in ethanol plants means more cattle are likely to be fed distiller's grain, thereby becoming a potential source of health risks to humans who acquire the bacteria by eating undercooked meat, raw diary products and produce contaminated with cattle manure, Nagaraja said.

Nagaraja, Professor Jim Drouillard and doctoral student Megan Jacob determined the prevalence of E. coli 0157 was about twice as high in cattle fed distiller's grain compared with cattle on diets lacking the ethanol byproduct.

"This is a very interesting observation and is likely to have profound implications in food safety," Nagaraja said.