P or Pap fimbriae of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) have previously been shown to be important in the pathogenesis of colibacillosis. However, no study has been done to ascertain the effects of deletion of the genes responsible for P fimbrial biogenesis on APEC's in vitro and/or in vivo characteristics. In the present study, all 11 genes of the pap gene cluster were deleted from APEC ...

The astA gene responsible for production of enteroaggregative Escherichia coli heatstable enterotoxin 1 (EAST1) was identified in E. coli strains isolated from pigs with postweaning diarrhea. Two hundred and twenty-six isolates were tested using PCR for the astA marker as well as for heat-labile I (LTI), heat-stable I (STI), and heat-stable II (STII) enterotoxin genes characteristic for enterot...