Distribution and characterization of faecal verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC) isolated from healthy cattle.
Faecal swabs obtained from a random sample of 268 cows and 90 calves on 19 Lugo farms were examined for verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC). We found VTEC on 95% of the farms. The prevalence rates of VTEC infection in asymptomatic cows and calves were estimated to be 35 and 37%, respectively. The proportion of animals infected on each farm ranged from 0 to 100%. VTEC strains isolated from healthy cattle belonged to 27 O serogroups; however, 57% (85 of 149) were of one of 8 serogroups (O2, O8, O22, O77, O82, O105, O113 and O171). Nearly 60% of the bovine VTEC strains belonged to serogroups that cause haemorrhagic colitis and haemolytic uraemic syndrome in humans. The VTEC were all non-O157:H7; 91% were eae-negative and 86% produced VT2 or VT1 and VT2. These characteristics are different from those of VTEC isolated from calves with diarrhoea.
Blanco
M
M
Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Santiago, Lugo, Spain.
Blanco
J E
JE
Blanco
J
J
Mora
A
A
Prado
C
C
Alonso
M P
MP
Mouriño
M
M
Madrid
C
C
Balsalobre
C
C
Juárez
A
A
D000818:Animals; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002417:Cattle / Q000382:microbiology*; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D017931:DNA Primers; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D012703:Serotyping; D022622:Shiga Toxin 1; D014709:Vero Cells
D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D017931:DNA Primers; D004768:Enterotoxins; D022622:Shiga Toxin 1