title: Virulence markers and serotypes of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, isolated from cattle in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and serotypes and virulence markers of the STEC isolates from beef and dairy cattle in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Faecal samples from beef cattle were collected at slaughterhouses. The isolates were submitted to colony hybridization assay with specific DNA probes for stx1, stx2 and eae genes, and serotyped for the identification of O and H antigens. Thirty-nine per cent of beef cattle surveyed harboured at least one STEC strain. Among the distinct serotypes identified, 10 were shared by both beef and dairy cattle. Most of the strains isolated harboured stx2. Genotypic and phenotypic profiles allowed the identification of 34 and 31 STEC strains, isolated from beef and dairy cattle, respectively. Serotypes O10:H14, O15:H21, O96:H21, O119:H4, O124:H11, O128:H21, O137:H-, O141:H19, O159:H42, O160:H2 and O177:H11, identified in this study, have not been previously reported as STEC isolated from cattle.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cattle are an important reservoir of STEC strains associated with human diseases in South America.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Determining the prevalence, genotypic profile and serotypes of STEC strains isolated from cattle enables the prediction of possible risk for public health.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciência e Tecnologia Agroindustrial, UFPel, Pelotas, RS, Brazil. timm@ufpel.tche.br
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Timm
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Irino
authors.forename: T A T
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Vieira
authors.forename: B E C
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Guth
authors.forename: T M I
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Vaz
authors.forename: C N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Moreira
authors.forename: J A G
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Aleixo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D002417:Cattle / Q000382:microbiology*; D003612:Dairying; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008460:Meat / Q000382:microbiology; D012703:Serotyping; D022603:Shiga Toxins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D022603:Shiga Toxins; D037521:Virulence Factors