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Determination of intimin and Shiga toxin genes in Escherichia coli isolates from gastrointestinal contents of healthy broiler chickens in Kerman City, Iran

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Abstract

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains have emerged as food poisoning pathogens which can cause severe diseases in humans. Poultry can be readily and persistently colonized, leading to the excretion of the STEC strains in the gastrointestinal contents and becoming a potential risk for human infection. Two hundred and ninety E. coli isolates were recovered from the cecum and jejunum contents of 145 broiler chickens during the slaughter. The isolates were examined to determine the phylotypes and prevalence of stx1, stx2, and eae genes. E. coli isolates were segregated in four main phylogenetic group A (60.69 %), B1 (8.62 %), B2 (9.31 %), and D (21.38 %). The isolates from the cecal contents belonged to A (68.27 %), B1 (1.38 %), B2 (13.10 %), and D (17.24 %) phylogenetic groups. The E. coli isolates from the contents of the jejunum indicated that the isolates were distributed in four phylogenetic groups including 53.11 % (77 isolates) in A, 15.86 % (23 isolates) in B1, 5.52 % (8 isolates) in B2, and 25.51 % (37 isolates) in D group. Nine isolates (3.10 %) were positive for eae and stx2 genes. None of the isolates contained the stx1 gene. The positive isolates were distributed in three phylo-groups and four phylogenetic subgroups A (A0, A1), B1, and D (D1, D2). The four eae- and stx2-positive isolates from the cecal contents belonged to A0, A1, and D1 phylo-subgroups; whereas five eae- and stx2-positive isolates from the jejunum contents fell into A0, A1, and D1 phylo-subgroups and B1 phylo-group.

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Acknowledgments

The author is thankful to Dr. Reza Ghanbarpour (Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Iran) for providing the reference strains and also for his technical support. This work was supported by a grant (number PM/2834/41-1388/10/30) from the Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman.

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

    Mahmood Salehi

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  1. Mahmood Salehi
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Correspondence to Mahmood Salehi.

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This work was carried out in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman.

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Salehi, M. Determination of intimin and Shiga toxin genes in Escherichia coli isolates from gastrointestinal contents of healthy broiler chickens in Kerman City, Iran. Comp Clin Pathol 23, 175–179 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00580-012-1591-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00580-012-1591-6

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