Isolation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 from dung beetles Catharsius molossus.
In an epidemiological survey, Escherichia coli O157:H7 was isolated from the intestine 4 of 113 dung beetle Catharsius molossus captured below ground at Tongshan County, Jiangsu Province of China. In parallel, 10 strains of E. coli O157:H7 were isolated from fecal samples of 383 diarrhea patients from the same region. Most importantly, using pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) of chromosomal DNA restriction fragments and PCR method, we found that the PFGE pattern and virulence genes of beetle isolates were identical to those of the human isolates, such as Shiga-toxins (stx) and enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli hemolysin A (EHEC-hlyA). Therefore, dung beetle might acquire pathogenic E. coli O157:H7 through contact with feces of domestic animals.
Xu
Jianguo
J
National Institute of Communicable Diseases Prevention and Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China. xujg@public.bta.net.cn
Liu
Qiyong
Q
Jing
Huaiqi
H
Pang
Bo
B
Yang
Jinchuan
J
Zhao
Guangfa
G
Li
Hongwei
H
D000818:Animals; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D001517:Coleoptera / Q000382:microbiology*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D019453:Escherichia coli O157 / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D022621:Shiga Toxin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics
D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D006460:Hemolysin Proteins; D022621:Shiga Toxin