Isolation and Molecular Identification of the ETEC Pathotype of Escherichia Coli from Calf Diarrhea in Some Area of Iran

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Articles

Authors

1 Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

2 Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Calf diarrhea is a common cause of pre-weaning morbidity and mortality in cattle within livestock operations.
OBJECTIVES: The primary aims of our study were to determine the prevalence and occurrence rate of genes that encode virulence factors (virotypes) in Escherichia coli strains isolated from calves with diarrhea. METHODS: Rectal swabs were procured from 156 calves exhibiting diarrhea, encompassing 12 distinct dairy farms located across five provinces of Iran. Through PCR analysis, the E. coli isolates were evaluated for the presence of various virulence genes such as f4, f5, f41, f17, cfa/1, sta, and lt.

RESULTS: A total of 78.84 % isolates were found to be positive for at least one of the virulence genes. The highest frequency with 76.28% was related to sta virotype. Most of the isolates analyzed had a single gene, and no combination of fimbrial and enterotoxin gene was predominant.
CONCLUSIONS: These findings underscore the importance of monitoring and understanding the epidemiology of ETEC pathotypes in order to develop effective strategies for managing calf diarrhea and reducing associated economic losses in the cattle industry in Iran.

Keywords

Iranian Journal of Veterinary Medicine

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 05 May 2025

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