Diarrhea in neonatal piglets caused by K99+ST+ enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli.
Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli strains were isolated from the feces of 34.4% of 64 diarrheaic neonatal piglets on seven farms. Of a total of 518 isolates, 86 (16.6%) were enterotoxigenic and grouped into four phenotypes: K99+ST+ (K99 pilus antigen and heat-stable enterotoxin producing, 36 strains), ST+ (37 strains), K88+LT+ (K88 pilus antigen and heat-labile enterotoxin producing, 11 strains), and K88+ST+ (2 strains). K99+ST+ and ST+ isolates showed multiple drug resistance and most of those (58.3% and 56.8%, respectively) belonged to O serogroup 101. A K99+ST+ isolate proved to be capable of inducing diarrhea and death in hysterectomy-produced colostrum-deprived piglets when orally inoculated.
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000276:immunology; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000276:immunology; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000276:immunology; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000209:etiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D036781:Fimbriae Proteins; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000209:etiology*
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D004768:Enterotoxins; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; C026888:K88 antigen, E coli; C031429:K99 antigen; C034151:heat stable toxin (E coli); D036781:Fimbriae Proteins