STb and AIDA-I: the missing link?

Escherichia coli enterotoxigenic strains produce one or more toxins which action result in production of diarrhea in animals including Man. One of these toxins, STb, has been mainly associated with colibacillosis in swine. Although highly prevalent in pigs with diarrhea, a relation between STb and disease was arduous to establish. With the recent recognition of a new adhesin, originally found in human E. coli isolates, named AIDA (adhesin involved in diffuse adherence) and its association with new E. coli pathotypes to which STb is linked, new light was shed on STb toxic potency. In this review, the association of STb and AIDA is examined according to the recent knowledge gained with newly described E. coli pathotypes.