title: [Detection and characterization of verocytoxin-producing Escherichia coli types (VTEC) from different sources].
abstract: Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is caused by enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) belonging to a few serovars embracing strains of O26, O103, O111, O118, O145 and O157 serogroup, respectively. In own investigations 3.791 food specimen of animal origin were investigated by use of an enzyme-immuno-assay (EIA) and the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). All E. coli isolates (n = 459) of food as well as isolates from cattle feces (n = 440), from HUS patients (n = 50) and asymptomatic human carriers (n = 16) were investigated by means of the PCR using primer pairs for verocytotoxin genes (vtx1, vtx2, vtx2c, vtx2d, vtx2e), the E. coli attaching und effacing gene (eae), the enterohemolysin-gene (ehlyA) and the vt2 transporter protein-gene (ile X tRNA). Differences were found in respect to the eae- and the ile X tRNA genes, which could be detected in significantly higher ratios in the isolates from patients and human carriers. Furthermore vtx2d strains were exclusively analyzed to each 25% in food and cattle strains. In six food samples pathogenic strains of serovar O157 were detected whereas some of the cattle strains were estimated to belong to EHEC serovars O26:H11, O118:H- and O157:H7. The own data support the thesis that the risk for human beings is affiliated to a great extent by direct contact with ruminants, followed by person-to-person transmission. Regarding the epidemiological data the thesis that each VTEC strain ist potentially an EHEC strain can not longer be substantiated.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Tierärztliche Nahrungsmittelkunde der Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bülte
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D019453:Escherichia coli O157 / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005516:Food Microbiology; D006463:Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary; D015994:Incidence; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary; D012703:Serotyping; D022603:Shiga Toxins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D015047:Zoonoses
chemical_list: D022603:Shiga Toxins
vernacular_title: Nachweis und Charakterisierung von Verotoxin-bildenden Escherichia coli-Stämmen (VTEC) aus unterschiedlichen Habitaten.