SHIGATOXIN-PRODUCING ESCHERICHIA COLI DETECTED IN DAIRY CATTLE FECES

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of Shigatoxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC) and serogroups O157, O111 and O113 in dairy cattle from Jaboticabal, state of São Paulo, Brazil. Feces samples were collected from 10 herds and assessed for the presence of the virulence genes stx1, stx2 and eae by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). All samples positive for stx and eae were submitted to a second PCR reaction targeting the sequences rfb O157, rfb O111 and rfb O113. A high prevalence of stx (72.16%) was detected in the fecal samples, the most frequent being stx1 associated to stx2. The prevalence of sequences rfb O157, rfb O111 and rfb O113 was 14.77%, 0.2% and 30.83%, respectively. STEC and serogroup O113 was identified in all herds (100%), and serogroups O157 and O111 were observed in 60% and 10% of the herds. In conclusion, the high STEC prevalence detected in dairy herds evidences that bovine feces might play an important role as a contamination source in the region of Jaboticabal.