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  • Accepted Manuscript: Characterization of Shiga toxin subtypes and virulence genes in porcine Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli

Title: Characterization of Shiga toxin subtypes and virulence genes in porcine Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli

Similar to ruminants, swine have been shown to be a reservoir for Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), and pork products have been linked with outbreaks associated with STEC O157 and O111:H-. STEC strains, isolated in a previous study from fecal samples of late-finisher pigs, belonged to a total of 56 serotypes, including O15:H27, O91:H14, and other serogroups previously associated with human illness. The isolates were tested by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and a high-throughput real-time PCR system to determine the Shiga toxin (Stx) subtype and virulence-associated and putative virulence-associated genes they carried. Select STEC strains were further analyzed using a Minimal Signature E. coli Array Strip. As expected, stx 2e (81%) was the most common Stx variant, followed by stx 1a (14%), stx 2d (3%), and stx 1c (1%). The STEC serogroups that carried stx 2d were O15:H27, O159:H16 and O159:H-. Similar to stx 2a and stx 2c, the stx 2d variant is associated with development of hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremic syndrome, and reports on the presence of this variant in STEC strains isolated from swine are lacking. Moreover, the genes encoding heat stable toxin (estIa) and enteroaggregative E. coli heat stable enterotoxin-1 (astA) were commonly found in 50more » and 44% of isolates, respectively. The hemolysin genes, hlyA and ehxA, were both detected in 7% of the swine STEC strains. Although the eae gene was not found, other genes involved in host cell adhesion, including lpfA O113 and paa were detected in more than 50% of swine STEC strains, and a number of strains also carried iha, lpfA O26, lpfA O157, fedA, orfA, and orfB. Furthermore, the present work provides new insights on the distribution of virulence factors among swine STEC strains and shows that swine may carry Stx1a-, Stx2e-, or Stx2d-producing E. coli with virulence gene profiles associated with human infections.« less
Authors:
 [1] ;  [1] ;  [2] ;  [2] ;  [1] ;  [3] ;  [3] ;  [4] ;  [4] ;  [4]
+ Show Author Affiliations
  1. United States Dept. of Agriculture - Agricultural Research Service, Wyndmoor, PA (United States)
  2. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Laurel, MD (United States)
  3. Univ. of Paris-Est, Maisons-Alfort (France)
  4. Univ. of Naples Federico II, Naples (Italy)
Publication Date:
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-06OR23100
Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Frontiers in Microbiology
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 7; Journal ID: ISSN 1664-302X
Publisher:
Frontiers Research Foundation
Research Org:
Oak Ridge Inst. for Science and Education (ORISE), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Org:
USDOE; ORAU/ORISE; USDA; (ARS) Research Participation Program; French joint ministerial program of R&D against CBRNE risks
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; hemolytic-uremic-syndrome; coli strains; enterocyte effacement; molecular analysis; biofilm formation; united-states; fecal samples; swine feces; ground-beef; non-o157; Escherichia coli; STEC; Shiga toxins variants; virulence genes
OSTI Identifier:
1261891