title: Distribution of the saa gene in strains of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli of human and bovine origins.
abstract: Certain strains of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) which do not have the locus of enterocyte effacement pathogenicity island carry the STEC autoagglutinating adhesin (saa) gene. The distribution of the saa gene in STEC isolates from patients with hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS), patients with less severe diarrheal disease, asymptomatic individuals, and healthy cattle was examined. saa-positive strains were detected more frequently (P < 0.001) in STEC strains from bovines (32 of 56 strains) than in those from humans (8 of 91 strains). No significant association (P = 0.135) was found between the saa gene and STEC isolated from patients with HUS (6 of 46 strains) or diarrhea (2 of 29 strains) and from healthy controls (0 of 16 strains).
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Enteric Pathogens, Central Public Health Laboratory, London NW9 5HT, United Kingdom. cjenkins@phls.org.uk
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jenkins
authors.forename: Neil T
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Perry
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cheasty
authors.forename: Darren J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: Gad
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Frankel
authors.forename: Gordon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dougan
authors.forename: George J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Gunn
authors.forename: Henry R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Adrienne W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Paton
authors.forename: James C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Paton
mesh_terms: D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle / Q000382:microbiology*; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000382:microbiology*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D006463:Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D022603:Shiga Toxins / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; C439650:SAA protein, E coli; D022603:Shiga Toxins