Isolation and Molecular Characterization of Shigatoxigenic and Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli from diverse sources

Total 45 E. coli isolates were recovered from faecal samples of 77 diarrhoeic and 85 healthy animals and birds, 51 milk samples and 48 diarrhoeic human stool samples. Multiplex PCR based molecular characterization targeting the virulence genes (stx1, stx2, eae and bfpA) could reveal presence of 24 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) and 21 as enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC). Among the STEC 19 isolates belonged to 13 different serogroups while four were untypable and one rough. Majority of STEC isolates carried stx2 gene. Out of 21 EPEC isolates, 15 were serogrouped into 9 different serogroups and 6 were either untypable or rough. All the four EPEC isolates of milk origin belonged to serogroup O2. Only two isolates from dierrhoeic buffaloes were found to be typical.