title: Detection and characterization of enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli in slaughtered cattle.
abstract: Fecal samples from slaughtered cattle were studied for enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) by DNA hybridization with biotin-labelled DNA probes specific for the EHEC virulence plasmid, Shiga-like toxin I (SLT I), Shiga-like toxin II (SLT II) and eae gene. Among 136 animals analysed, 47 (34.5%) were found to carry EHEC. The cytotoxic genotypes observed for EHEC strains were: 60.4% SLT I, 12.5% SLT II and 10.4% SLT I + SLT II; 16.7% resulted SLT I and SLT II negative. A total of 14 out of 48EHEC strains (29.2%) hybridized with a fimbrial probe and 14 of 48 strains with an sas probe. An important number of strains (18 out of 48) belonged to serogroups O157, O26 and O111, serogroups also commonly isolated from haemolytic uremic syndrome cases in Chile. While EHEC isolates from the same animal were usually of the same serogroup, one animal was found to carry two EHEC strains of different serogroups. A total of 50% of EHEC strains were sorbitol negative, irrespective of the O serogroup or EHEC genotypic profile. Results obtained in this study strongly suggest that cattle in Chile are a reservoir of EHEC associated with disease in humans.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Preventive Animal, Facultad de Cisncias Veterinarias y Pecuarias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago.
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Borie
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Monreal
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Arellano
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Prado
mesh_terms: D000003:Abattoirs; D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial; D000818:Animals; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D002677:Chile / Q000453:epidemiology; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D019453:Escherichia coli O157 / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005838:Genotype; D006463:Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat / Q000382:microbiology; D010641:Phenotype; D015995:Prevalence; D022622:Shiga Toxin 1; D022641:Shiga Toxin 2
chemical_list: D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial; D001425:Bacterial Outer Membrane Proteins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D022622:Shiga Toxin 1; D022641:Shiga Toxin 2; C073819:eaeA protein, E coli