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Characterization of virulence factors and phylogenetic group determination of Escherichia coli isolated from diarrheic and non-diarrheic calves from Brazil

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Abstract

This study aimed to detect virulence factors, pathovars, and phylogenetic groups of Escherichia coli strains obtained from feces of calves with and without diarrhea up to 70 days old and to determine the association between occurrence of diarrhea, phylogenetic groups, and pathovars. Phylo-typing analysis of the 336 E. coli strains isolated from calves with Clermont method showed that 21 (6.25 %) belong to phylogroup A, 228 (67.85 %) to phylogroup B1, 2 (0.6 %) to phylogroup B2, 5 (1.49 %) to phylogroup C, 57 (16.96 %) to phylogroup E, and 3 (0.9 %) to phylogroup F. Phylogroup D was not identified and 20 strains (5.95 %) were assigned as “unknown.” The distribution of phylogenetic groups among pathovars showed that NTEC belong to phylogroups B1 (17) and C (4); EPEC to phylogroups B1 (6) and E (8); STEC to phylogroups A (5), B1 (56), B2 (2), C (1), and E (15); EHEC to phylogroups B1 (95) and E (5); and ETEC to phylogroups A (3), B1 (7), and E (10). The EAST-1 strains were phylogroups A (13), B1 (47), E (19), and F (3); E. coli strains of “unknown” phylogroups belonged to pathovars EPEC (1), EHEC (2), STEC (7), and EAST-1 strains (6). ETEC was associated with diarrhea (P = 0.002). Our study did not find association between the phylogenetic background and occurrence of diarrhea (P = 0.164) but did find some relationship in phylogenetic group and pathovar. The study showed that EHEC and STEC are classified as phylogroup B1, EAST-1 phylogroup A, ETEC, and EPEC phylogroup E.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Técnico e Científico (CNPq 448357/2014-3) and Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (Fapemig). APL and MBH are indebted to CNPq for the fellowships received. FMC thanks CNPq and Capes (13827/13-8) for her fellowship.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Escola de Veterinária, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, UFMG, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, CEP30123-970, Brazil

    Fernanda Morcatti Coura, Soraia de Araújo Diniz, Jamili Maria Suhet Mussi, Marcos Xavier Silva & Andrey Pereira Lage

  2. Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Saúde Animal, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87, São Paulo, São Paulo, CEP 05508-270, Brazil

    Marcos Bryan Heinemann

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  1. Fernanda Morcatti Coura
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  2. Soraia de Araújo Diniz
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  3. Jamili Maria Suhet Mussi
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  4. Marcos Xavier Silva
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  5. Andrey Pereira Lage
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  6. Marcos Bryan Heinemann
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Correspondence to Marcos Bryan Heinemann.

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This study was conducted in agreement with the Ethical Principles in Animal Experimentation (CETEA/UFMG, protocol number 145/2006).

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Coura, F.M., de Araújo Diniz, S., Mussi, J.M.S. et al. Characterization of virulence factors and phylogenetic group determination of Escherichia coli isolated from diarrheic and non-diarrheic calves from Brazil. Folia Microbiol 62, 139–144 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12223-016-0480-9

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