Molecular Characterization of Shiga Toxin Producing Escherichia coli Isolated From Both Diarrheic and Apparently Health Calves

Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli is a contaminant of food and water that causes a diarrheal syndrome followed by more severe disease of the kidneys and symptoms of the central nervous system in humans. The isolation of Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) from diarrheic and apparently health calves is difficult due to lack of differential phenotypic characteristics from nonpathogenic Escherichia coli. The improvement of molecular technology allows identification of both toxin and serogroup specific genetic determinants. In this study, 300 fecal samples from diarrheic and apparently healthy calves were screened for STEC using PCR targeting Shiga toxin determinants. In addition routine culture methods for isolating O157 and non O157 STEC were also performed. The screening assays of serotyping isolates revealed 7 (4.1%) of O157H7, 156 (92.8%) of non O157 and 5 (3.1%) for untypable strains. These included STEC serotypes of O157H7 and O26 from diarrheic samples, and O78, O55 and O126 from apparently healthy calves. The high rate of STEC isolation and the diversity of STEC serogroup from calves focus the light on the importance of calves as reservoir of E. coli as well as motivate us to improve biosecurity measures in dairy farms.