Abstract
Escherichia coli strains causing diarrhoea in Swedish piglets were isolated; this investigation was made over a 20-year period, from 1964 to 1984. Many of the isolates belonged to O-groups 8, 141 and 149. These strains were separated into different phenotypes with the aid of a new method, “biochemical fingerprinting”. This method has been especially designed to sortE. coli-isolates into various phenotypes based on a pattern of quantitatively measured biochemical reactions. It was found that most pathogenic isolates carrying O-antigen 8 belonged to the same phenotype. This phenotype was common in the 1960's, but later it disappeared from the population and was replaced by a wide variety of different phenotypes, most of them non-enterotoxinogenic, but still belonging to O-group 8. In O-group 141 one phenotype dominated in the 1960's, but in the 1970's a new phenotype appeared, which further increased in number in the 1980's. By contrast, in the O-group 149 practically all strains isolated during the 20-year period were found to carry the relevant virulence factors and belong to the same phenotype.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Achtman M, Mercer A, Kusecek B, Pohl A, Heuzenroeder M, Aaronson W, Sutton A, Silver RP (1983) Six widespread bacterial clones amongEscherichia coli K1 isolates. Inf Immun 39 (I):315–335
Caugant D, Levin B, Selander R (1981) Genetic diversity and temporal variation in theEscherichia coli population of a human host. Genetics 98:467–490
Gross RJ (1983)Escherichia coli diarrhoea. J Infect 7:177–192
Kühn I, Heden C-G (1976) From biotyping to metabolic fingerprinting. In: Johnston HH, Newson SWB (eds) Rapid Methods and Automation in Microbiology. Learned Information Ltd. Oxford, pp 173–177
Kühn I (1978) Characterization of methanol-oxidizing bacteria by their growth response to various chemicals. Appl Environ Microbiol 36 (5):688–692
Kühn I (1985) Biochemical fingerprinting ofEscherichia coli A simple method for epidemiological investigations. Journal of Microbiological Methods, in press
Olsson E, Soderlind O (1980) Comparison of different assays for definition of heatstable enterotoxigenicity ofEscherichia coli Porcine Strains. J Clin Microbiol 11:6–15
Ørskov I, Ørskov F (1977) Special O:H:K serotypes among enterotoxigenicEscherichia coli strains from diarrhea in adults and children. Med Microbiol Immunol 163:99–110
Ørskov I, Ørskov F, Jann B, Jann K (1977) Serology, chemistry, and genetics of O and K Antigens ofEscherichia coli. Bacteriol Rev 41 (3):667–710
Ørskov F, Ørskov I (1983) Summary of a workshop on the clone concept in the epidemiology, taxonomy, and evolution of the Enterobacteriaceae and other bacteria. J Infect Dis 148 (2):346–357
Sneath PHA, Sokal RR (1973) Numerical Taxonomy. WH Freeman and Company, San Francisco
Söoderlind O (1971a) Studies onEscherichia coli in pigs. I. Biochemical investigations. Zbl Vet Med B 18:489–504
Söderlind O (1971b) Studies onEscherichia coli in pigs. II. Serological investigations. Zbl Vct Med B 18:569–590
Söderlind O, Möllby R (1978) Studies onEscherichia coli in pigs. V. Determination of enterotoxicity and frequency of O-groups and K88 antigen in strains from 200 piglets with neonatal diarrhea. Zbl Vet Med B 25:719–728
Soika WJ (1965)Escherichia coli in animals. Review series No. 7, Commonwealth Bureau of Animal Health, London
Stenderup J, Ørskov F (1983) The clonal nature of enteropatogenicEscherichia coli strains. J Infect Dis 148 (6): 1019–1024
Stoll BJ, Rowe B, Glass RI, Gross RJ, Imdadul H (1983) Changes in serotypes of enterotoxinogenicEscherichia coli in Dhaka over time: Usefulness of polyvalent antisera. J Clin Microbiol 18 (4):935–937
Turck M, Ronald AR, Clark H, Winterbauer RH, Atlas E, Silverblatt F, Petersdorf RG (1969) Studies on the epidemiology ofEscherichia coli 1960–1968. J Infect Dis 120 (1):13–16
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This work was supported by grants from the National Swedish Agricultural Market Board.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kühn, I., Franklin, A., Söderlind, O. et al. Phenotypic variations among enterotoxinogenicEscherichia coli from Swedish piglets with diarrhoea. Med Microbiol Immunol 174, 119–130 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02298122
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02298122