Abstract
EnterotoxigenicEscherichia coliis an important enteric pathogen causing post-weaning diarrhoea in piglets. Enterotoxins ofE. coliinduce the release of fluid into the intestines without apparent inflammation. Some serotypes ofE. coli, especially O149:F4 can often be identified in association with haemorrhagic gastroenteritis. In this study we infected the weaned piglets (n = 53) by oral administration of enterotoxigenicE. coliO149:F4 strains isolated from piglets suffering from haemorrhagic gastroenteritis. The clinical course of infection and shedding of the challengeE. colistrain in the faeces of infected piglets was monitored for 14 days. The challenge strain soon outnumbered the otherE. colitypes in the intestines of most piglets. Diarrhoea developed in the majority of piglets and its severity varied. Severe diarrhoea was observed in 10% of the piglets but only one piglet died due to dehydration. No inflammatory lesions were detected in the intestines of the dead piglet and the other euthanized piglets. We assume that development of haemorrhagic gastroenteritis depends on the involvement of other factors that need to be identified.E. coliO149:F4 are only one of the causative factors of haemorrhagic gastroenteritis in piglets after weaning.
Highlights
Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli is an important enteric pathogen causing post-weaning diarrhoea in piglets
Enterotoxigenic E. coli isolated from weaned piglets possessing colonizing factors F4 (K88) and having the ability to produce enterotoxins usually belong to serogroup O149 (Tzipori 1985; Soderlind et al 1988; Imberechts et al 1994)
enterotoxigenic E. coli strains (ETEC) strains used for infection Haemolytic strains of E. coli 11462 (O149:F4, LT+, STb+), 11501 (O149:F4, LT+, STb+), 10416 (O149:F4, LT+, STb+), isolated from the intestines of dead piglets showing typical signs of haemorrhagic gastroenteritis and strain 11040 (O8:F4, LT+, STb+) isolated from the intestines of piglets without apparent inflammation of the intestines were used for infection
Summary
Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli is an important enteric pathogen causing post-weaning diarrhoea in piglets. Enterotoxigenic E. coli isolated from weaned piglets possessing colonizing factors F4 (K88) and having the ability to produce enterotoxins usually belong to serogroup O149 (Tzipori 1985; Soderlind et al 1988; Imberechts et al 1994). Some authors use the terms haemorrhagic gastroenteritis or colibacillary shock During this type of disease, LT and STb producing ETEC of serogroup O149:F4 are most often isolated (Svendsen et al 1974; Faubert and Drolet 1992). We isolated an almost pure culture of haemolytic E. coli O149:F4 (producing LT and STb, in some cases together with STa) from the intestines of the majority of fatal cases of weaned piglets with severe inflammation of intestines This was associated with strong hyperaemia and oedematous, hyperaemic or haemorrhagic mucosa. The aim of our study was to induce haemorrhagic gastroenteritis in piglets experimentally infected with ETEC O149:F4 strains isolated from piglets affected by haemorrhagic gastroenteritis and compare the cytokine response of intestinal leukocytes in affected piglets with control
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