Genotypic characterization of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) isolated in Belgium from dogs and cats

Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) are isolated from man and farm ani mals but also from dogs and cats. They produce typical histological lesions called 'attaching and effacing' lesions. Both plasmid and chromosomal elem ents are involved in the pathogenesis of EPEC infection. The presence of th ese genetic elements was investigated in 14 dog and three cat EPEC isolates . A bfpA-related gene was detected in five of the 17 isolates in associatio n with high molecular weight plasmids, and a locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE) was present in all isolates. The LEE was inserted in the selC region in only 12% of the isolates. The eae, tir, espA and espB genes were analyz ed by multiplex PCR. The results indicated the presence of those genes in t he tested isolates with heterogeneity in the gene subtypes present: eae gam ma -tir alpha -espA alpha -espB alpha (65%), ene beta -tir beta -espA beta -espB beta (29%), eae alpha -tir alpha -espA alpha -espB alpha (6%). Moreov er, the espD gene was also present in dog and cat EPEC. The DEPEC and CEPEC form a heterogeneous group and five of them are closely related to human E PEC. (C) 2000 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.