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. 2014 Mar 10;44(4):1173-80.
doi: 10.1590/S1517-83822014005000010. eCollection 2013 Dec.

Virulence profiles of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli and other potentially diarrheagenic E.coli of bovine origin, in Mendoza, Argentina

M A Pizarro  1 , J H Orozco  1 , S M Degarbo  1 , A E Calderón  1 , A L Nardello  1 , A Laciar  2 , M E Rüttler  1
Affiliations

Virulence profiles of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli and other potentially diarrheagenic E.coli of bovine origin, in Mendoza, Argentina

M A Pizarro et al. Braz J Microbiol. .

Abstract

This study described a group of strains obtained from a slaughter house in Mendoza, in terms of their pathogenic factors, serotype, antibiotype and molecular profile. Ninety one rectal swabs and one hundred eight plating samples taken from carcasses of healthy cattle intended for meat consumption were analyzed. Both the swab and the plate samples were processed to analyze the samples for the presence of virulence genes by PCR: stx1, stx2, eae and astA. The Stx positive strains were confirmed by citotoxicity assay in Vero cells. The isolates were subsequently investigated for their O:H serotype, antimicrobial susceptibility and molecular profile by Random Amplification of Polymorphic DNA (RAPD). Twelve E.coli strains were identified by their pathogenicity. Nine were from fecal origin and three from carcasses. Three strains carried the stx1 gene, three the stx2 gene, two carried eae and four the astA gene. The detected serotypes were: O172:H-; O150:H8; O91:H21; O178:H19 and O2:H5. The strains showed a similarity around 70% by RAPD. Some of the E.coli strains belonged to serogroups known for certain life-threatening diseases in humans. Their presence in carcasses indicates the high probability of bacterial spread during slaughter and processing.

Keywords: Enteroaggregative Stable toxin (EAST1); Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC); Hemolitic Uremic Syndrome (HUS); Shiga Toxin Escherichia coli (STEC); cattle; foodborne diseases.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Screening by PCR in rectal swabs. Percentages of pathogenics factors in 91 samples.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Screening by PCR in carcasses. Percentages of pathogenics factors in 108 samples.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Cytotoxic effect in Vero cells. (X 1,000) A. Uninfected monolayer. B. Infected monolayer with characteristic cytotoxic effect.
Figure 4
Figure 4
The dendrogram illustrates the clonal structure and the genetic relationships of the 11 strains studied here. The strains are distributed through several groups related at different similarity levels.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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