Verotoxigenic Escherichia coli infections in humans cause disease ranging from uncomplicated intestinal illnesses to bloody diarrhea and systemic sequelae, such as hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Previous research indicated that pigeons may be a reservoir for a population of verotoxigenic E. coli producing the VT2f variant. We used whole-genome sequencing to characterize a set of VT2f-producin...

Type III secretion systems of enteric bacteria enable translocation of effector proteins into host cells. Secreted proteins of verotoxigenic Escherichia coli O157 strains include components of a translocation apparatus, EspA, -B, and -D, as well as "effectors" such as the translocated intimin receptor (Tir) and the mitochondrion-associated protein (Map). This research has investigated the regul...

The adherence property of 70 verotoxigenicE. coli (VTEC) strains, not belonging to O157: H7 serotype (non-O157) was checked on HeLa cells adherence assay. These strains were isolated from patients with diarrhea and healthy individuals. The results obtained in this study revealed that localised adherence (LA) was manifested by 3 strains of which two belonged to serogroups O111, O127 and the thir...

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (E. coli) strains (STEC) are most important food borne pathogenic bacteria. STEC are agents of serious illnesses such as food poisoning, dysentery, hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic–uremic syndrome (HUS). Most of the cases in hemorrhagic colitis, HUS and sudden death in all ages are related to 0157:H7 serotypes that are considered as the most important ser...

Five well characterised strains of Clostridium difficile of differing virulence and two Escherichia coli strains, a verotoxigenic O157:H7 isolate and a urinary isolate, were examined for cell surface hydrophobicity and charge, and haemagglutinating ability. Phase partition in hexadecane or octan-1-ol was similar for C. difficile and E. coli, as was retention by hydrophobic interaction chromatog...