1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Mathura, 281001, (Uttar Pradesh).
1*Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Eastern Regional Station, 37, Belgachia Road, Kolkata, 700 037, (West Bengal).
2Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, (Uttar Pradesh), 243122, INDIA.
A study was conducted to determine the prevalence and characterization of Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli strains from dairy farms situated in three different agroclimatic zones in India. A total of 82 freshly voided fecal sample from 1–30 days old diarrhoeic calves were collected. Fecal samples were screened for the presence of K99 antigen by ELISA and followed by isolation and identification of K99+Escherichia coli strains. K99+E. coli strains further characterized for the presence of enterotoxin and related genes by biological assay and PCR. Among 27 E. coli strains, 6 strains (22.2%) found positive for ST gene, 11 strains (40.47%) contained LT gene and 10 strains (37.03%) showed both ST and LT genes.
Escherichia coli, Enterotoxigenic, Enterotoxins, India
