Prevalence of Avian PathogenicEscherichia coli(APEC) Clone HarboringsfaGene in Brazil

Terezinha Knöbl,Mônica Aparecida Midolli Vieira,Domingos Da Silva Leite,Renata Paixão,Jesus E Blanco,Andrea Micke Moreno,Tânia Aparecida Tardelli Gomes,Antônio José Piantino Ferreira

doi:10.1100/2012/437342

Abstract

Escherichia coli sfa+ strains isolated from poultry were serotyped and characterized by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP). Isolates collected from 12 Brazilian poultry farms mostly belonged to serogroup O6, followed by serogroups O2, O8, O21, O46, O78, O88, O106, O111, and O143. Virulence genes associated were: iuc 90%, fim 86% neuS 60%, hly 34%, tsh 28%, crl/csg 26%, iss 26%, pap 18%, and 14% cnf. Strains from the same farm presented more than one genotypic pattern belonging to different profiles in AFLP. AFLP showed a clonal relation between Escherichia coli sfa+ serogroup O6. The virulence genes found in these strains reveal some similarity with extraintestinal E. coli (ExPEC), thus alerting for potential zoonotic risk.

Highlights

Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) is considered an outstanding pathogen for the poultry industry, due to several economic losses associated with chronic respiratory disease, septicemia, salpingitis, omphalitis, and embrionary death
Some authors have suggested the involvement of several mammals and birds species as reservoirs for human extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) serogroups [2,3,4,5]
The aim of this study was to characterize sfa gene positive E. coli strains isolated from Brazilian poultry farms, identifying serogroups, virulence factors, and genotypic profiles, through amplified fragment length polymorphism with a single enzyme

Summary

Introduction

Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) is considered an outstanding pathogen for the poultry industry, due to several economic losses associated with chronic respiratory disease, septicemia, salpingitis, omphalitis, and embrionary death. ExPEC strains were characterized as E. coli isolates containing two or more of the following virulence markers: papA (P fimbriae structural subunit) and/or papC (P fimbriae assembly), sfa/foc (S and F1C fimbriae subunits), afa/dra (Dr-antigen-binding adhesion), kpsMT II (group 2 capsular polysaccharide units), and iut (aerobactin receptor) [6]. Many of these virulence factors, found in ExPEC strains that cause human neonatal meningitis (NMEC) and urinary tract infection (UPEC), are present in APEC, leading to zoonotic concern [7, 8]

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