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Molecular Characterization of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Isolated from the Environment of a Dairy Farm

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Abstract

Environmental samples were taken from ground, cattle water troughs, and feeders from a dairy farm with different STEC prevalence between animal categories (weaning calves, rearing calves, and dairy cows). Overall, 23 % of samples were positive for stx genes, stx 2 being the most prevalent type. Isolates were analyzed by PCR monoplex to confirm generic E. coli and by two multiplex PCR to investigate the presence of stx 1 , stx 2 , eae, saa, ehxA, and other putative virulence genes encoded in STEC plasmids: katP, espP, subA, and stcE. The toxin genes were subtyped and the strains were serotyped. The ground and the environment of the rearing calves were the sites with the highest number of STEC-positive samples; however, cattle water troughs and the environment of cows were the places with the greater chance of finding stx 2EDL933 which is a subtype associated with serious disease in humans. Several non-O157 STEC serotypes were detected. The serotypes O8:H19; O26:H11; O26:H-; O118:H2; O141:H-; and O145:H- have been asociated with human illness. Furthermore, the emergent pathogen STEC O157:H- (stx 1 –ehxA–eae) was detected in the environment of the weaning calves. These results emphasize the risk that represents the environment as source of STEC, a potential pathogen for human and suggest the importance of developing control methods designed to prevent contaminations of food products and transmission from animal to person.

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Acknowledgments

Authors thank María R. Ortiz for her technical assistance. This work was supported by FONCYT PICT 1728/OC-AR Proy 38059, CIC and SECYT–UNCPBA. N. L. Padola and A. I. Etcheverría are members of the Scientific Research Commission, Provincia Buenos Aires (CIC), P. M. A. Lucchesi and A. Krüger are members of CONICET. R. Polifroni and D. Fernández are holders of a fellowship from CONICET.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratorio de Inmunoquímica y Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Dpto. SAMP, Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, Tandil, Argentina

    Rosana Polifroni, Analía I. Etcheverría, Marcelo E. Sanz, Alejandra Krüger, Paula M. A. Lucchesi, Daniel Fernández, Alberto E. Parma & Nora L. Padola

  2. Instituto de Ecosistemas y Desarrollo Sustentable, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, Tandil, Argentina

    Rosana E. Cepeda

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  1. Rosana Polifroni
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  2. Analía I. Etcheverría
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  3. Marcelo E. Sanz
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  4. Rosana E. Cepeda
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Correspondence to Analía I. Etcheverría.

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Polifroni, R., Etcheverría, A.I., Sanz, M.E. et al. Molecular Characterization of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli Isolated from the Environment of a Dairy Farm. Curr Microbiol 65, 337–343 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-012-0161-0

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