title: Isolation of Escherichia coli from piglets in South Korea with diarrhea and characteristics of the virulence genes.
abstract: Escherichia coli was isolated from the feces of 122 piglets with diarrhea on 55 farms in Korea. The virulence genes of each isolate were characterized by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Of the 562 isolates, 191 carried 1 or more of the virulence genes tested for in this study. Of the 191 isolates, 114 (60%) carried 1 or more of the genes for enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) fimbriae F4, F5, F6, F18, and F41 and ETEC toxins LT, STa, and STb, 57 (30%) carried 1 or more of the genes for the Shiga-toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) toxins Stx1, Stx2, and Stx2e, and 21% and 37% carried the gene for enteropathogenic E. coli intimin and for enteroaggregative E. coli toxin, respectively. Collectively, our results indicate that other pathotypes of E. coli as well as ETEC can be strongly associated with diarrhea in piglets. In addition, detection of the genes for Stx1 and Stx2 indicates that pigs are reservoirs of human pathogenic STEC.
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Public Health, College of Veterinary Medicine and Bio-Safety Research Institute, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Yeong Ju
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ji Hee
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hur
authors.forename: John Hwa
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000382:microbiology; D054308:Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D054307:Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D036781:Fimbriae Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D056910:Republic of Korea; D022622:Shiga Toxin 1 / Q000235:genetics; D022641:Shiga Toxin 2 / Q000235:genetics; D054323:Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D018829:Adhesins, Bacterial; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D022622:Shiga Toxin 1; D022641:Shiga Toxin 2; D037521:Virulence Factors; C073819:eaeA protein, E coli; D036781:Fimbriae Proteins