The presence of the pathogenicity island (PAI) O122 genes, efa1 (lifA), sen, pagC, nleB, and nleE, in typical and atypical enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) strains was investigated. The simultaneous occurrence of all genes was statistically associated with diarrhea due to atypical EPEC. Detection of the complete PAI O122 could aid in the identification of potential pathogenic strains of...

To determine the origin of >4,000 suspected diarrheagenic Escherichia coli strains isolated during 2004-2011 in South Africa, we identified 7 isolates as serotype O104; 5 as enteroaggregative E. coli O104:H4, and 2 as enteropathogenic E. coli O104:non-H4. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis showed that these isolates were unrelated to the 2011 E. coli O104:H4 outbreak strain from Germany.

We developed and tested a single multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) that detects enterotoxigenic, enteropathogenic, enteroinvasive, and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli. This PCR is specific, sensitive, and rapid in detecting target isolates in stool and food. Because of its simplicity, economy, and efficiency, this protocol warrants further evaluation in large, prospective studies...

We describe the characterization of 126 atypical enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (aEPEC) isolates from 1,749 Brazilian children. Classic aEPEC strains were more frequently found in children with diarrhea than in controls (P < 0.001), showing their importance as acute diarrhea agents in our country. Only aEPEC strains carrying either the ehxA or paa gene were significantly associated with diar...

Mutation of slyA, which reduces Salmonella typhimurium virulence in mice, caused only minor attenuation of S. typhimurium virulence in orally inoculated calves. This correlated with modest reductions in intestinal invasion and enteropathogenic responses in bovine ligated ileal loops. slyA appears to regulate virulence genes involved in systemic, but not enteric, salmonellosis.

Four of six adhesin-encoding genes (lpfA, paa, iha, and toxB) from Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli strains were detected in typical and atypical enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) strains of various serotypes. Although the most prevalent gene was lpfA in both groups, paa was the only potential diarrhea-associated gene in atypical EPEC.

Infection of cultured HEp-2 cells with enteropathogenic Escherichia coli causes substantial actin accretion at points of bacterial contact and cell death. Loss of viability was delayed by chelating intracellular free calcium. Actin accretion was partially inhibited by preventing elevation of free cytosolic calcium and prevented by treatment with a calmodulin inhibitor.

Escherichia coli is a highly diverse bacterial species, with atypical enteropathogenic E. coli (aEPEC) causing intestinal disease in both human and animal hosts. Here, we report the first complete genome sequence of an aEPEC strain of sequence type ST794 and serotype Ont:H7, isolated from a diseased piglet.

We report here the draft genome sequences of nine enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) strains isolated from children in Kenya who died during hospitalization with diarrhea. Each of the isolates possess the EPEC adherence factor (EAF) plasmid encoding the bundle-forming pilus, which is characteristic of EPEC. These isolates represent diverse serogroups and EPEC phylogenomic lineages.

A 55-year-old man with well-controlled HIV had severe diarrhea for 3 weeks and developed multiorgan dysfunction and bacteremia due to Escherichia coli. The genome of the patient's isolate had features characteristic of extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli and genes distantly related to those defining enteropathogenic E. coli.