K99 antigen-positive enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli from piglets with diarrhea in Sweden

K88 antigen-negative enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli and non-enterotoxigenic strains isolated from piglets with diarrhea were examined for K99 antigen by agglutination tests after growth on Minca-IsoVitaleX (BBL Microbiology Systems, Cockeysville, Md.) agar medium. Of 64 K88-negative enterotoxigenic strains from as many piglets, 17 were found to be K99 positive. Of these, 10 were Swedish and 7 were of Norwegian origin. All 17 produced heat-stable enterotoxin detectable in the infant mouse assay, but only 2 gave positive ligated loop tests in 3- to 7-week-old piglets. Ligated loop tests in 5- to 12-day-old piglets were positive for each of the 15 K99-positive strains tested. Each of the Swedish K99-positive isolates was from a piglet of lesser than or equal to 7 days of age. One piglet harboring a K99-positive strain also harbored an O141:K88 enterotoxigenic strain producing only heat-stable enterotoxin. Five of the Swedish piglets yielding K99-positive isolates were from dams vaccinated wih a multicomponent bacterial vaccine containing K88 antigen. The K99 strains were O:K:H serotyped. The O serogroups represented were O8, O9, O64, O101, and O140. None of the 101 non-enterotoxigenic porcine isolates, representing 42 serogroups and non-O-groupable and rough strains, was found to be K99 positive. The findings indicate that so-called class 2 or atypical porcine enterotoxigenic E. coli should be routinely examined for the presence of K99 antigen.