1Division of Veterinary Veterinary Public Health, F.V.Sc & A.H., Shuhama, (Alusteng)Jammu and Kashmir, India
2Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Budgam, Jammu and Kashmir, India
3Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Ganderbal, Jammu and Kashmir, India
4Division of Livestock Products Technology, F. V. Sc & A.H., Shuhama, (Alusteng), Jammu and Kashmir, India
5Department of Veterinary BiochemistryF.V.Sc & A.H., Shuhama, (Alusteng), Jammu and Kashmir, India
*Corresponding author: MN Hassan; E-mail: mir.ndm16@gmail.com
Online Published on 25 October, 2023.
The present study was conducted to determine stx and eae virulent genes in E. coli and their subtyping during 2021-2022. For this, One hundred fifty six (156) rectal swab samples from healthy cattle and sheep were investigated for the presence of stx1, stx2, eae, ehxA and bfp virulence genes using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In all, 133 Escherichia coli (E. coli) isolates possessed at least one virulence gene targeted. Eighty nine Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) isolates (sixty two from cattle and twenty seven from sheep) were obtained. STEC were more prevalent in cattle (63.11%) than in sheep (45.76%). Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) were detected from 10 (10.30%) cattle and 1 (1.69%) sheep rectal swab samples. All the EPEC isolates detected were atypical. Subtype analysis of stx genes in cattle exhibited 18.39% as stx1, 34.48% as stx2 and 18.93 as both stx1 & 2. Similarly, stx analysis in sheep revealed stx1 in 45.65%, stx2 in 6.15% and both stx1 & 2 in 6.15% isolates. Among 20 (15.03%) eae positive isolates of E. coli recovered from Cattle and Sheep, eaeA gene was found associated with 16 (18.39%) and 4(8.69%) rectal swab of Cattle and Sheep respectively. Upon intimin subtyping, int-β was detected in 03 (75%) and 04 (25%) while as Int-γ was detected in 01 (25%) and 10 (62.50%) of sheep and cattle rectal swabs respectively. Two E. coli isolate positive for eae gene form rectal swab of cattle could not be subtyped. The present investigation indicates that stx1, stx2, stx1&2, eae-β and Int-γ could be common subtypes prevalent in STEC and EPEC strains of healthy cattle and sheep in India. Statistically, the difference between prevalence of STEC and EPEC in Cattle and Sheep was found significant (p = 0.05).
• This article describes the subtyping of stx and eae virulent genes in E.coli.
• The high occurrence of E. coli highlights that the importance of animals as being super-shedders.
• High diversity of STEC, EPEC strains circulating in the animals represents a risk for Public Health.
PCR, Shiga toxin, STEC, Subtype, Typical EPEC
