Distribution of virulence genes in Escherichia coli strains isolated from diarrhoeic piglets in the Slovak Republic

• Published in: Journal of veterinary medicine. Series B Vol. 51; no. 7; pp. 343 - 347
• Main Authors: Vu-Khac, H, Holoda, E, Pilipcinec, E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin, Germany Blackwell Verlag GmbH 01.09.2004; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Animals; Animals, Newborn; diarrhea; Diarrhea - microbiology; Diarrhea - veterinary; DNA Primers; DNA, Bacterial - analysis; enterotoxins; Enterotoxins - genetics; Enterotoxins - isolation & purification; Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli - classification; Escherichia coli - genetics; Escherichia coli Infections - microbiology; Escherichia coli Infections - veterinary; Escherichia infections; genes; microbial genetics; piglets; Polymerase Chain Reaction - veterinary; sequence analysis; Slovakia - epidemiology; strain differences; strains; Swine; swine diseases; Swine Diseases - microbiology; virulence; Slovakia
• ISSN: 0931-1793; 1863-1959; 1439-0450; 1863-2378
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0450.2004.00769.x

Summary Ninety‐two Escherichia coli isolates from 14 to 28‐day‐old piglets that died because of diarrhoea were examined for genes for fimbriae (F4, F5, F6, F18 and F41), enterotoxins (STa, STb and LT), verotoxin (VT2e or Stx2e) and enteroaggregative heat‐stable enterotoxin 1 (EAST1) by polymerase chain reaction. Twenty‐two strains (24%) carried a gene for F4, whereas genes for F18, F6 and F5 + F41 were detected in 10.8, 3.3 and 1.1% of strains respectively. Genes for STb, LT, STa and Stx2e were detected in 40.2, 26.1, 14.1 and 1.1% of strains respectively. The astA gene was detected in 49 (53.3%) isolates, 35 of which also carried genes for enterotoxins and/or fimbriae. The major genotypes reached at (in decreasing order of prevalence) were F4/STb/LT/EAST1, F18/STa/STb/EAST1, STb/EAST1, F6/STa/STb/EAST1 and F18/STb/EAST1.