SEROGROUPS, TOXINS AND ANTIBIOTIC-RESISTANCE OF ESCHERICHIA-COLI STRAINS ISOLATED FROM DIARRHEIC GOAT KIDS IN SPAIN

Fifty-five Escherichia coli strains isolated from 55 diarrhoeic goat k ids from 13 flocks in Spain were serotyped and investigated for produc tion of enterotoxins (LT and STa), verotoxins (VT1 and VT2), cytotoxic necrotizing factors (CNF1 and CNF2), alpha-hemolysin (Hly) and entero hemolysin (EntHly), and for antibiotic resistance. Only 3 (5%) strains were toxigenic: 1 VT(+)EntHly(+) (serogroup O8) and 2 CNF2(+) (both o f serogroup O153). The strains serotyped belonged to 19 serogroups. Ho wever, 31 (56%) were of one of nine serogroups (O3, O8, O9, O10, O11, O21, O44, O103 and O153) and only three of them (O8, O9 and O11) accou nted for 29% of the strains. The highest percentages of antibiotic res istance in order of frequency were: streptomycin (93%), sulfadiazine ( 89%), tetracycline (84%), kanamycin (82%), neomycin (82%) and ampicill in (69%). We conclude that E. coli strains isolated from diarrhoeic go at kids are usually non-toxigenic and belong to a large number of sero groups.