PRESENCE OF F107, 2134P AND AV24 FIMBRIAE ON STRAINS OF ESCHERICHIA-COLI ISOLATED FROM SWEDISH PIGLETS WITH DIARRHEA

A total of 109 Escherichia coli isolates from piglets with diarrhoea, that had previously been shown to be enterotoxin producers, but negati ve for the adhesive fimbriae K88, K99, 987P and F41 were tested for th e presence of more recently characterised fimbriae. Testing was done b y immunodot assay with absorbed polyclonal antisera against Av24 and F 107 fimbriae, and unabsorbed polyclonal antiserum and monoclonal antis erum against 2134P fimbriae. Strains were also tested by polymerase ch ain reaction for the presence of genes encoding the major subunit of F 107 fimbriae. After elimination of possible non-specific reactions, an tisera testing produced 10 strains positive with all 4 antisera, 1 str ain that reacted with all antisera except F107, 2 strains that reacted with all antisera except the 2134P monoclonal, 3 strains that reacted with 2134P polyclonal and F107 and 2 that reacted with F107 only. The PCR testing confirmed the results of the antisera, but also produced an additional 14 positive strains, giving a total of 30% of the strain s tested reacting positively by PCR. Furthermore, all 33 isolates posi tive by PCR came from pigs that were older than 1 week, which is 45% o f the 72 isolates tested which came from older pigs.