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Virulence genotyping of Escherichia coli isolates from avian cellulitis in relation to phylogeny

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Abstract

Coliform cellulitis in broilers is caused by certain avian pathogenic Escherichia coli strains. Sixty-four E. coli samples were isolated in a slaughterhouse from broiler carcasses with cellulitis. The isolates were examined for the presence of selected virulence genes and phylogenetic determination by PCR assays. E. coli isolates belonged to A (51.56%), B1 (18.75%) and D (29.68%) phylogenetic groups. All of the isolates were positive for at least two virulence genes. The three most prevalent genes were csgA (92.18%), fimH (85.93%) and iucD (76.56%). F17 fimbrial family (f17A), P (papC) and S (sfa) fimbriae encoding genes were detected in one, nine and two isolates, respectively. The highest and the lowest number of virulence genes were found in D and A phylogenetic groups, respectively. Several combination of the virulence genes were detected; csgA, fimH, iucD was the most prevalent pattern. None of the isolates harboured the afa E-VIII, afaI B-C, eaeA, hly, stx1 and stx virulence genes.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a grant (No. 1386.10) from the Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman. The authors are thankful to the manager of the Eslam Kish industrial poultry slaughterhouse of Kerman for his cooperation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, P.O. Box 76169-14111, Kerman, Iran

    Reza Ghanbarpour

  2. Department of Poultry Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Bahonar University, P.O. Box 76169-14111, Kerman, Iran

    Mahmood Salehi

  3. UMR 1225 INRA-ENVT Interactions Hôtes-Agents Pathogènes, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire, 23 chemin des Capelles BP 8761431076, Toulouse Cedex 3, France

    Eric Oswald

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  1. Reza Ghanbarpour
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  2. Mahmood Salehi
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Correspondence to Reza Ghanbarpour.

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Ghanbarpour, R., Salehi, M. & Oswald, E. Virulence genotyping of Escherichia coli isolates from avian cellulitis in relation to phylogeny. Comp Clin Pathol 19, 147–153 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00580-009-0837-4

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