Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 27, 2026
Characterization of a Pathogenic Escherichia coli Strain Derived from Oreochromis spp. Farms Using Whole-Genome Sequencing
Published on: December 23, 2022
Isolation of atypical enteropathogenic and shiga toxin encoding Escherichia coli strains from poultry in Tehran, Iran
Fatemeh Doregiraee1, Masoud Alebouyeh2, Bahar Nayeri Fasaei3
1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran; Foodborne and Waterborne Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Aim:
The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) and shiga toxin producing E. coli (STEC) strains in healthy broilers in Iran.
Background:
STEC and EPEC strains as diarrheagenic E. coli are among the most prevalent causative agents in acute diarrhea. Domestic animals, mainly cattle and sheep, have been implicated as the principal reservoirs of these pathotypes; however their prevalence among the broilers is varied among different countries.
Patients And Methods:
A total of 500 cloacal swab samples from broilers of five different poultry houses (A-E) were collected to investigate the presence of stx1, stx2, hly, eae, and bfp virulence genes among the E. coli isolates by polymerase chain reaction. The shiga toxin encoding strains were evaluated serologically to detect their interaction with a commercial antiserum against O157 antigen.
Results:
Out of the 500 collected samples, 444 E. coli strains were isolated. Three strains (0.67%) presented at least one of the studied virulence genes (stx2, hly and eae), two strains were identified as STEC (stx2 (+), O157:nonH7) and one as an atypical EPEC strains (eae (+) bfp (-)).
Conclusion:
The study established the presence of STEC and atypical EPEC in healthy broilers in Iran. Poultry might serve as vectors for transmission of pathogenic E. coli to human populations.
