Concurrent Infection of Rotavirus and Shiga Toxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC) in Buffalo Calves in Mumbai Metropolis, Western India

Faecal samples from 113 diarrhoeic cattle and buffalo calves less than one year of age, from different farms in Mumbai metropolis in India, were screened for the presence of Rotavirus and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC). RNA-Poly acrylamide gel electrophoresis (RNA-PAGE) analysis of these samples revealed 11 (9.73%) as positive for group A rotavirus (GARV). Out of 11 samples found positive by RNA-PAGE, which were subjected to amplification of VP7 gene of GARV, 10 samples yielded a specific product of 1,013 bp. The incidence of Shiga toxigenic E. coli in diarrhoeic buffalo calves was 13.23% (9 out of 68) and 6.66% in the cattle calves (3 out of 45) as demonstrated by multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of the shiga toxin (stx) genes. Eight (66.66%) isolates carried stx2 gene and four (33.33%) isolates had stx1 gene. To the best of our knowledge, we report for the first time the concurrent infection of Shiga toxigenic E. coli and GARV (6 cases; 8.82%) in diarrhoeic faecal samples of buffalo calves from India.