title: Hybrids of Shigatoxigenic and Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC/ETEC) Among Human and Animal Isolates in Finland.
abstract: Diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli (DEC) cause serious foodborne infections in humans. Total of 450 Shigatoxigenic E. coli (STEC) strains isolated from humans, animals and environment in Finland were examined by multiplex PCR targeting the virulence genes of various DEC pathogroups simultaneously. One per cent (3/291) of the human STEC and 14% (22/159) of the animal and environmental STEC had genes typically present in enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC). The strains possessed genes encoding both Shiga toxin 1 and/or 2 (stx1 and/or stx2 ) and ETEC-specific heat-stable (ST) enterotoxin Ia (estIa). The identified stx subtypes were stx1a, stx1c, stx2a, stx2d and stx2g. The three human STEC/ETEC strains were isolated from the patients with haemolytic uraemic syndrome and diarrhoea and from an asymptomatic carrier. The animal STEC/ETEC strains were isolated from cattle and moose. The human and animal STEC/ETEC strains belonged to 11 serotypes, of which O2:H27, O15:H16, O101:H-, O128:H8 and O141:H8 have previously been described to be associated with human disease. Identification of multiple virulence genes offers further information for assessing the virulence potential of STEC and other DEC. The emergence of novel hybrid pathogens should be taken into account in the patient care and epidemiological surveillance.
authors.affiliation: Bacteriology Unit, National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Nyholm
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Bacteriology Research Unit, Finnish Food Safety Authority Evira, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Heinikainen
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Bacteriology Research Unit, Finnish Food Safety Authority Evira, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pelkonen
authors.affiliation: Food and Feed Microbiology Research Unit, Finnish Food Safety Authority Evira, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hallanvuo
authors.affiliation: Bacteriology Unit, National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Helsinki, Finland.|Department of Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Haukka
authors.affiliation: Bacteriology Unit, National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Siitonen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002353:Carrier State / Q000382:microbiology; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D003670:Deer / Q000382:microbiology*; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000382:microbiology; D054307:Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000235:genetics* / Q000382:microbiology; D019453:Escherichia coli O157 / Q000235:genetics; D005387:Finland; D006463:Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012703:Serotyping; D054323:Shiga-Toxigenic Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D037521:Virulence Factors
keywords: Shigatoxigenic Escherichia coli; emerging pathogenic E. coli; enterotoxigenic E. coli; hybrid pathogroup; multiplex PCR