Elsevier

Research in Microbiology

Volume 151, Issue 10, December 2000, Pages 865-871
Research in Microbiology

Genotypic characterization of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) isolated in Belgium from dogs and cats

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0923-2508(00)01153-0Get rights and content
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Abstract

Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) are isolated from man and farm animals but also from dogs and cats. They produce typical histological lesions called ‘attaching and effacing’ lesions. Both plasmid and chromosomal elements are involved in the pathogenesis of EPEC infection. The presence of these genetic elements was investigated in 14 dog and three cat EPEC isolates. A bfpA-related gene was detected in five of the 17 isolates in association with high molecular weight plasmids, and a locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE) was present in all isolates. The LEE was inserted in the selC region in only 12% of the isolates. The eae, tir, espA and espB genes were analyzed by multiplex PCR. The results indicated the presence of those genes in the tested isolates with heterogeneity in the gene subtypes present: eaeγ-tirα-espAα-espBα (65%), eaeβ-tirβ-espAβ-espBβ (29%), eaeα-tirα-espAα-espBα (6%). Moreover, the espD gene was also present in dog and cat EPEC. The DEPEC and CEPEC form a heterogeneous group and five of them are closely related to human EPEC.

Keywords

Escherichia coli
EPEC
genotypic characterization
dogs and cats
Belgium

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