Effect of IBV-H120 vaccination in broilers on colibacillosis susceptibility after infection with a virulent Massachusetts-type IBV strain

Vaccination against infectious bronchitis (IB) is aimed to protect against clinical IB. The question is, however, whether vaccinated birds are also protected against predisposure for colibacillosis after a subsequent IBV infection. We examined this research question in four experiments. One-day-old commercial broilers, housed in isolators, were vaccinated with IB vaccine strain H120 by coarse spray or ocularly. Twenty-eight days after vaccination, broilers were challenged with the virulent IBV strain M41. Five days later, broilers were inoculated with Escherichia coli strain 506. Body weight uniformity, severity of E. coli airsacculitis, and systemic E. coli infection at 7 days following E. coli inoculation were used as parameters for colibacillosis. IBV vaccination reduced both the number of broilers with E. coli airsacculitis as well as the severity of airsacculitis significantly after challenge with IBV-M41 and E. coli 506. However, in spray-vaccinated groups, no significant reduction of the number of birds with systemic colibacillosis or the severity of this infection was obtained, and body weight uniformity was not significantly improved compared with nonvaccinated, IBV-M41, and E. coli 506-challenged groups. Eye-drop vaccination resulted in conflicting results.     

Effect of a commercial competitive exclusion culture on reduction of colonization of an antibiotic-resistant pathogenic Escherichia coli in day-old broiler chickens

One-day-of-age broiler chickens were administered a commercial competitive exclusion (CE) product and then challenged by three different methods with an Escherichia coli O78:K80 that was pathogenic for poultry and resistant to six antibiotics. Three challenge methods were used on 2-day-old broilers: direct challenge, precolonized seeder, and instant seeder. Direct challenge was accomplished by administering the challenge E. coli per os. The precolonized seeder challenge had two chicks that had received the challenge E. coli 24 hr previously, whereas the instant seeder challenge had two chicks given the challenge E. coli per os with immediate placement with the experimental birds. One oral dose of the commercial CE product significantly reduced the colonization of the small intestine, large intestine, and ceca by the highly antimicrobial resistant poultry pathogenic E. coli O78:K80 at 7 and 14 days postchallenge by all three challenge methods. The overall mean reductions in colonization were 3.0 log10 for the large intestine, 3.0 log10 for the small intestine, and 4.0 log10 for the cecum. The most severe challenge method, on the basis of the least amount of reduction of colonization of the challenge E. coli by the CE, was by the direct oral gavage at 2 days of age.     

Characterization of Escherichia coli strains obtained from layer chickens affected with colibacillosis in a commercial egg-producing farm

The present study reports colibacillosis of layer chickens in a commercial egg-producing farm in western Japan. Three flocks of chicken at 18-21 weeks of age were affected during the initiation of egg lay. Postmortem examination revealed pericarditis, perihepatitis, airsacculitis, subcutaneous inguinal lesion, and injured cloaca. Escherichia coli was isolated from the lesions of the affected birds. Twenty-two of 26 E. coli isolates (84.6%) obtained from 18 birds in the 3 flocks showed pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) patterns that were considered to be closely associated to each other and arbitrarily designated as pattern A. All the 22 isolates with the PFGE pattern A harbored the putative virulence genes, astA, iss, iucD, tsh, and cva/cvi. Additional 2 PFGE patterns (B and C) were also found in E. coli isolates obtained from the affected flocks and had the putative virulence genes in combinations different from those in the pattern A strains. The results suggested that certain E. coli virulence genes and host factors, such as initiation of egg lay may be associated with occurrence of colibacillosis.     

Escherichia coli as a pathogen in dogs and cats.

Certain strains of Escherichia coli behave as pathogens in dogs and cats causing gastro-intestinal and extra-intestinal diseases. Among the five known groups of diarrhoeagenic E. coli, namely enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC), enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC), shiga-toxin producing E. coli (STEC) and enteroaggregative E. coli (EAggEC), only EPEC and ETEC were clearly associated with enteric disease in young dogs. ETEC isolates from diarrhoeic dogs were found to be positive for the heat-stable enterotoxins STa and STb but negative for heat-labile enterotoxin (LT). Canine ETEC were found to be different from those of other animals and humans by their serotypes, production of alpha-haemolysin and adhesive factors and by the production of uncharacterized types of enterotoxins by some ETEC. Canine EPEC could be distinguished from EPEC of humans or other animals by their serotypes and by the eae-protein intimin which mediates intimate adherence of EPEC to intestinal mucosa cells. STEC were occasionally isolated from faeces of healthy and diarrhoeic dogs but their role in canine diarrhoea is not yet well known. EIEC and EAggEC were not reported to occur in dogs or cats. Very little is known on diarrhoegenic E. coli in cats and further epidemiological investigations on this subject are needed. Besides its role in gastro-intestinal infections, E. coli can cause infections of the urogenital tract and systemic disease in dogs and cats. Extra-intestinal pathogenic E. coli strains from dogs and cats belong to a limited number of serotypes and clonal groups and are frequently found as a part of the normal gut flora of these animals. Many of these E. coli strains carry P-fimbriae and produce alpha-haemolysin and a necrotizing cytotoxin (CNF1). Some of the frequently isolated types of extra-intestinal pathogenic E. coli from dogs, cats and humans were found to be highly genetically related but showed differences in their P-fimbrial adhesins which determine host specificity. Transmission of extra-intestinal and enteral pathogenic E. coli between dogs and humans was reported. Further research is needed, however, to determine the role of dogs and cats as transmission vectors of pathogenic E. coli strains to other animals and humans.     

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) isolated from healthy dairy cattle in southern Brazil

Over a period of 1 year, the production of verotoxin was investigated in 1127 Escherichia coli isolated from 243 dairy cattle from 60 small farms in southern Brazil. Vero cell assay was used to detect toxins in culture supernatants from E. coli isolated from bovine feces. Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) detection rates were 95% (57 of 60) for farms and 49% (119 of 243) for cattle. Prevalence of STEC-positive cattle in the farms ranged from 0 to 100%. Ninety-six percent (315 of 327) of the STEC isolates did not react in the panel of sera used for typing. Twelve isolates, all non-motile, belonged to serogroups previously associated with human diseases, and 67% (8 of 12) were of only two serotypes (O91:H- and sorbitol-fermenting O157:H-). These results indicate that dairy cattle from the region surveyed may be a source of STEC potentially pathogenic for humans.     

Old Friends in New Places: Exploring the Role of Extraintestinal E. coli in Intestinal Disease and Foodborne Illness

The emergence of new antibiotic‐resistant Escherichia coli pathotypes associated with human disease has led to an investigation in terms of the origins of these pathogens. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, unspecified agents are responsible for 38.4 million of the 48 million (80%) cases of foodborne illnesses each year in the United States. It is hypothesized that environmental E. coli not typically associated with the ability to cause disease in humans could potentially be responsible for some of these cases. In order for an environmental E. coli isolate to have the ability to cause foodborne illness, it must be able to utilize the same attachment and virulence mechanisms utilized by other human pathogenic E. coli. Recent research has shown that many avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC) isolated from poultry harbour attachment and virulence genes also currently found in human pathogenic E. coli isolates. Research also suggests that, in addition to the ability to cause gastrointestinal illnesses, APEC may also be an etiological agent of foodborne urinary tract infections (FUTIs). The purpose of this article was to evaluate the evidence pertaining to the ability of APEC to cause disease in humans, their potential for zoonotic transfer along with discussion on the types of illnesses that may be associated with these pathogens.     

Construction and evaluation of a delta cya delta crp Salmonella typhimurium strain expressing avian pathogenic Escherichia coli O78 LPS as a vaccine to prevent airsacculitis in chickens.

Avian pathogenic strains of Escherichia coli cause a number of extraintestinal diseases in poultry, including airsacculitis and colisepticemia. Expression of O78 lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is frequently associated with pathogenic isolates. Salmonella, a common poultry contaminant, is a major public health concern. The purpose of this work was to develop an E. coli vaccine for poultry with the use of an attenuated Salmonella typhimurium carrier that would benefit both the bird and the consumer. Orally administered attenuated S. typhimurium delta cya delta crp strains have been shown to provide excellent protection against wild-type Salmonella challenge in chickens. This work describes the construction of a delta cya delta crp derivative of an avian pathogenic S. typhimurium that expresses both the homologous group B determinants (O1,4,5,12) and the heterologous E. coli O78 LPS O antigens. This was accomplished by inserting the E. coli rfb region, which encodes the genes required for O78 expression, into the chromosomal cya gene of S. typhimurium, creating a defined deletion/insertion mutation. A delta crp mutation was introduced in a subsequent step. Expression of both O antigens was stable in vitro and in vivo. Vaccination of white leghorn chicks at day of hatch and 14 days with the recombinant vaccine strain induced serum immune responses against both S. typhimurium and E. coli LPS and protected the birds against subsequent challenge with an avian pathogenic E. coli O78 strain. Introduction of a mutation in rfc, which encodes the O antigen polymerase, reduced the chain length of the S. typhimurium LPS without affecting the expression of O78. The rfc mutation further enhanced the ability of the vaccine strain to protect chickens against E. coli challenge.     

Multidrug-resistant extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli of sequence type ST131 in animals and foods

Multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli sequence type 131 (ST131) has recently emerged as a globally distributed cause of extraintestinal infections in humans. Diverse factors have been investigated as explanations for ST131's rapid and successful dissemination, including transmission through animal contact and consumption of food, as suggested by the detection of ST131 in a number of nonhuman species. For example, ST131 has recently been identified as a cause of clinical infection in companion animals and poultry, and both host groups have been confirmed as faecal carriers of ST131. Moreover, a high degree of similarity has been shown among certain ST131 isolates from humans, companion animals, and poultry based on resistance characteristics and genomic background and human and companion animal ST131 isolates tend to exhibit similar virulence genotypes. However, most ST131 isolates from poultry appear to possess specific virulence genes that are typically absent from human and companion animal isolates, including genes associated with avian pathogenic E. coli. Since the number of reported animal and food-associated ST131 isolates is quite small, the role of nonhuman host species in the emergence, dissemination, and transmission of ST131 to humans remains unclear. Nevertheless, given the profound public health importance of the emergent ST131 clonal group, even the limited available evidence indicates a pressing need for further careful study of this significant question.     

Expression of Escherichia coli antigens in Salmonella typhimurium as a vaccine to prevent airsacculitis in chickens

Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli strains are associated with a variety of extraintestinal poultry diseases, including airsacculitis, colisepticemia, and cellulitis. A number of E. coli serotypes are associated with these diseases, although the most prevalent serotype is O78. Fimbrial proteins expressed by these strains appear to be important virulence factors, including type 1 fimbriae, P fimbriae, and curli. We have been working to develop an effective vaccine to protect chickens against these diseases. We have previously shown that an attenuated Salmonella typhimurium strain expressing O78 lipopolysaccharide provides protection against challenge with an O78 avian pathogenic E. coli strain. In this work, we have constructed an attenuated S. typhimurium that expresses both the O78 lipopolysaccharide and E. coli-derived type 1 fimbriae. In these studies, chickens were vaccinated at day of hatch and again at 2 wk of age. Birds were challenged at 4 wk of age. We found that the vaccine candidate provided significant protection against airsacculitis as compared to untreated controls or birds vaccinated with an attenuated S. typhimurium that did not express any E. coli antigens. In a separate experiment, challenged vaccinates showed significant weight gain compared to challenged nonvaccinates. We were not able to demonstrate protection against E. coli O1 or O2 serotype challenge, nor against challenge with wild-type S. typhimurium.     

Haemolytic Escherichia coli isolated from dogs with diarrhea have characteristics of both uropathogenic and necrotoxigenic strains

Twenty-four haemolytic Escherichia coli strains were isolated from dogs with diarrhea. The strains were serotyped and analysed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for genes encoding virulence factors associated with E. coli that cause diarrhea in animals. Adhesion antigen production was deduced from haemagglutination experiments. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) of heat extracts was also used as an indication for the production of adhesive structures. The majority of the strains was shown to produce this type of virulence factor. Adhesion and invasion tests of the strains and Caco-2 cells showed that all strains adhered and that two were invasive. The two invasive strains were positive in the intimin PCR and one of them also contained genes encoding CS31A. The PCR for heat stable toxin (ST) was positive in only four strains, as was the presence of F17 fimbrial genes. Surprisingly, 19 strains had intact P fimbrial operons, coding for an adhesin involved in urinary tract infection (UTI). The cytotoxic necrotising factor 1 (CNF1) gene, also mainly found in UTI was likewise detected in these 19 strains. Cytolethal distending toxin (Cdt) genes were found in five strains. The high number of strains positive for CNF1 and P fimbriae prompted us to test the strains in a multiplex PCR used to test E. coli isolated from UTI in various species for 30 virulence associated genes. The data showed that the majority of the diarrhea isolates have virulence factor profiles highly similar to UTI E. coli isolates from dogs. This raises the question whether these isolates are real intestinal pathogens or "innocent bystanders". However, since CNF1 producing necrotoxic E. coli (NTEC) strains isolated from humans, pigs and calves with diarrhea appear to be highly related to our strains, it might be that in dogs this type of isolate is capable of causing not only UTI, but also diarrhea. If this is the case and this type of isolate is "bifunctional", domestic animals likely constitute a reservoir of NTEC strains which can be also pathogenic for humans.     

Virulence factors of Escherichia coli isolated from cows with acute mastitis

A total of 184 Escherichia coli isolates recovered from cows with acute mastitis were examined for recognized pathogenic mechanisms and virulence factors commonly found in pathogenic groups of E coli. A modification of the Eng procedure (for detecting complement deficiencies in serum) was used to test for resistance to different animal sera. The Sereny test (for invasiveness), infant mouse test (for heat-stable enterotoxin), and Y-1 adrenal tumor cell assay (for heat-labile enterotoxin) were used. Hemagglutination tests, using rabbit, sheep, and guinea pig RBC, were done with and without added mannose. All of the 184 isolates were serum resistant in all tested sera. None of the isolates was invasive. Only 1 isolate was positive for heat-stable enterotoxin and 2 cultures were positive for heat-labile enterotoxin. Multiple patterns of hemagglutination were observed. The majority of the isolates exhibited both mannose-sensitive and mannose-resistant hemagglutinins with guinea pig and rabbit RBC. A few strains were positive only in mannose-sensitive or mannose-resistant hemagglutination tests. A few strains were negative in all hemagglutination tests. Based on our results, E. coli from cows with acute mastitis lack the virulence factors commonly observed in other E coli groups associated with disease. Serum resistance was the only characteristic that could be related to virulence.     

Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC)

Infections with avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) cause colibacillosis, an acute and mostly systemic disease resulting in significant economic losses in poultry industry worldwide. Avian colibacillosis is a complex syndrome characterized by multiple organ lesions with airsacculitis and associated pericarditis, perihepatitis and peritonitis being most typical. Environmental factors as well as the constitution of poultry or initial viral infections influence the outcome of APEC-infections. However, several challenge experiments in chickens proofed the role of virulent APEC strains as the single aetiological agent. Currently serotypes O1:K1, O2:K1 and O78:K80 are recognized as the most prevalent, however the number of published serotypes is increasing. In addition, single APEC isolates vary profoundly in virulence, and knowledge about the molecular basis of this variability is still scarce. Known virulence factors of APEC are adhesins (F1- and P-fimbriae), iron acquisition systems (aerobactin and yersiniabactin), hemolysins (hemolysinE and temperaturesensitive hemagglutinin), resistance to the bactericidal effects of serum and phagocytosis (outer membrane protein, iss protein, lipopolysaccharide, K/1)-capsule and colilcin production) as well as toxins and cytotoxins (heat stable toxin, cyto-/verotoxin and flagella toxin). Esperimental studies have shown that the respiratory tract, principally the gas-exchange region of the lung and the interstitium of the air sacs are the most important sites of entry for avian pathogenic E. coli. APEC strains adhere to the epithelial cells of air sacs presumably through F1-fimbriae. After colonization and multiplication the bacteria enter the bloodstream, and the temperature-sensitive hemagglutinin (tsh) seems to be important int his step. After invading the bloodstream APEC cause a septicemia resulting in massive lesins in multiple internal organs and in sudden death of the birds. The ability of the bacteria to acquire iron and the resistance to the bactericidal effects of serum, predominantly conferred by the increased serum survival (iss)--protein, enables APEC to multiply quickly in their hosts. Iss is regarded a specific genetic marker for avian pathogenic E. colistrains. A critical review of the literature published so far on APEC reveals, that these pathotypes are not defined appropriately. This findings urge investigations on the population structure of APEC, enabling the establishment of appropriate diagnostic tools and avoiding the obsolete use of serotyping for APEC diagnosis. So far more than 20 APEC strains have been investigated in animal experiments, explaining contrary published results. Thus, the lack of knowledge in pathogenicity and in immunity of APEC infections urges further experimental studies. As APEC share not only identical serotypes with human pathogens but also specific virulence factors, their zoonotic potential is under consideration.     

Virulence of Mycoplasma synoviae strains in experimentally infected broiler chickens

Seven field isolates of German origin and the type strain WVU 1853 of Mycoplasma synoviae (MS) were experimentally investigated for their virulence in mycoplasma-free broiler chickens. Two groups of birds were inoculated at 6 days of age with each isolate, one group into the thoracic air sac and the other group intravenously and all surviving birds were examined at necropsy 17 days post inoculation (pi). Groups of negative control birds received sterile Frey's broth medium by intravenous and intra-air sac inoculation, respectively. Variation in virulence was evaluated on the basis of significant differences in incidence, severity and extend of MS-induced airsacculitis and synovitis as well as isolation rates of MS especially from parenchymous organs. All the strains tested were pathogenic but varied in their virulence for broiler chickens. Based on differences of the virulence, the isolates were classified to the categories: (1.) highly virulent, (2.) virulent, (3.) moderately virulent and (4.) slightly virulent. (1) Strains WVU 1853 and 246-91 induced a systemic disease associated with multiple synovitis and bilateral airsacculitis (2) Strains 93-92 and 151-77 induced bilateral airsacculitis similar to WVU 1853 and 246-91 but rarely a systemic disease after exposure by intra-thoracic airsac inoculation. (3) In comparison, strains 27-79, 76-93 and 513-83 caused less frequently airsacculitis and even if, then only at the side of intra-airsac exposure. (4) Strain 91-93 has been found to differ significantly from all the other isolates in its capacity to produce disease independently from the inoculation route. After intravenous inoculation, findings gave no indications for strains with selective tropism to the epithelial membranes of the lower respiratory tract or to those of the joints, tendon sheaths and bursae. However, the presented data of the experiments suggest that the MS strains tested differ in their potential capacity to invade systemically and produce acute septicaemia.     

Experimental Escherichia coli respiratory infection in broilers

This study determined optimal conditions for experimental reproduction of colibacillosis by aerosol administration of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli to 2-to-4-wk-old broiler chickens. The basic model for reproducing disease was intranasal administration of approximately 10(4) mean embryo infectious dose of infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) followed by aerosol administration of an 02 or an 078 strain of E. coli in a Horsfall unit (100 ml of a suspension of 10(9) colony-forming units/ml over 40 min). Scores were assigned to groups of infected chickens on the basis of deaths; frequency and severity of lesions in the air sacs, liver and heart; and recovery of the challenge E. coli 6 days post-E. coli infection. An interval of 4 days between the IBV and E. coli challenges was best whether the chickens received the IBV at 8 or 20 days of age. Typically, 50%-80% of the chickens developed airsacculitis and 0 to 29% of the chickens developed pericarditis or perihepatitis, with little or no mortality. Escherichia coli alone resulted in no deaths and 0 to 20% airsacculitis, but these percentages increased to 0 to 5% and 52%-60% when the E. coli aerosol was administered through a cone-shaped chamber. Administration of IBV alone failed to induce lesions. Recovery of the challenge E. coli from chickens did not correlate well with lesions. On the basis of these data, administration of IBV to 20-day-old chickens followed 4 days later by exposure to an avian pathogenic E. coli reproduces avian colibacillosis with the low mortality, high percentage of airsacculitis, and low percentage of septicemic lesions characteristic of the conditions seen in the natural disease.     

Comparison of virulence gene profiles of Escherichia coli isolates from sows with coliform mastitis and healthy sows

Coliform mastitis (CM) is not only a serious economical and animal welfare touching problem in dairy cattle, but also in sows after farrowing. Due to this disease, the essential adequate supply with colostrum for the growth and the health of the piglets is not ensured. Besides other influencing factors, Escherichia (E.) coli is of great importance as a causative agent of this multifactorial disease. In this study, E. coli isolates from milk samples of healthy and CM-affected sows were examined for the presence of virulence genes associated with extraintestinal E. coli strains, enterotoxigenic E. coli and other pathogenic E. coli. The isolated E. coli harbored mainly virulence genes of extraintestinal E. coli strains (especially fimC, ompA, traT, hra, kpsMTII, iroN). The virulence gene spectrum for both samples from CM-affected and healthy sows did not differ significantly. Particular virulence gene profiles of E. coli isolates from diseased sows were not detected. This study provides novel insights into the role of E. coli in association with mastitis in sows since it is the first time E. coli isolates from CM-affected sows' milk were analysed for virulence genes. Because there were no differences in the prevalence of E. coli and their virulence-associated genes between healthy and diseased sows, other causative factors seem to have greater influence on the pathogenesis of porcine CM.     

Pathogenic diversity of Escherichia coli and the emergence of 'exotic' islands in the gene stream.

Escherichia coli is a highly adaptive bacterial species that is both a member of the commensal intestinal flora and a versatile pathogen associated with numerous types of intestinal and systemic infections in humans and other animals. The spectrum of diseases caused by E. coli is due to the acquisition of specific virulence genes harbored on plasmids, bacteriophages, or within distinct DNA segments termed pathogenicity islands (PAIs) that are absent from the genomes of commensal E. coli strains. PAIs are likely to have been transferred horizontally and may have integrated into the E. coli chromosome through bacteriophage or plasmid integration or transposition. The contribution of intergenic inheritance to the adaptation and evolution of E. coli, types of PAIs associated with different groups of pathogenic E. coli and approaches to identify unique sequence islands (USIs), some of which might confer pathogenicity, in E. coli and other bacteria are presented.     

Characterisation and clonal relationships of Shiga-toxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC) isolated from Australian dairy cattle

A total of 136 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) isolated during a longitudinal survey of three Australian dairy farms were examined to determine their virulence factors, serotype and genomic relationships. This study aimed to assess the potential of these STEC to cause disease in humans and to analyse the on-farm ecology of STEC. Virulence factors (stx, eae, ehxA) were used as determinants of potential to be enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) and were examined using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Among the cattle groups tested, calves, both before and during weaning, shed the most putative EHEC and were the main source of serotypes commonly associated with human disease. E. coli O157:H7 and E. coli O26:H11 represented 9.4 and 7.8% of cattle STEC isolates respectively, with other putative EHEC serotypes reported for the first time from cattle. Based on serotype and virulence factors, 20% of STEC were putative EHEC. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was used to compare the genomic profiles of STEC from dairy farms. Isolates common to cattle and the farm environment were identified. Multiple strains of STEC with high clonal turnover were detected in the faeces of cattle, and isolates appeared to be specific to individual farms. To fully assess the pre-slaughter EHEC risk factors on-farm, examination of STEC virulence is as important as determination of STEC prevalence.     

规模化养鸭场鸭源大肠杆菌分离株的致病性及系统发育分析

为研究鸭源大肠杆菌(E.coli)的致病性,明确鸭病原性E.coli与人和其他动物E.coli的亲缘关系及O血清型与菌种间遗传关系的相关性,本研究从我国西南地区规模化养鸭场患典型E.coli败血症的雏鸭体内分离37个血清型共82个E.coli分离株(其中优势血清型32株,其他血清型50株),以每株0.2 mL (109 cfu/mL)腿部肌肉接种7日龄健康鸭进行致病性试验;并对其中14个鸭源E.coli代表株进行16S rRNA基因克隆、测序及系统发育分析.结果表明:所有分离株全部为致病性E.coli,其中高致病株、中等致病株和低致病株分别占受试菌株的80.5％(66/82)、17.1％ (14/82)和2.4％(2/82),4个优势血清型全部为高致病株和中等致病株,分别占受试菌株的84.4％(27/32)和15.6％(5/32);14个代表株鸭源E.coli的16S rRNA形成2个主要分支,3株新发现的血清型单独形成一个较远的分支,11株常见血清型与人及其他动物源E.coli形成另一个大的分支,其中有6株与人的O157亲缘关系较近,2株与出血性E.coli O157:H7 sakai聚为一个小分支;从遗传进化的关系分析,这些菌株有可能是人类的潜在病原菌;同时还发现不同血清型的分离株可以聚为一支,而同一血清型的分离株可以处于不同的分支,常规的O血清学分型不能体现菌种间遗传关系的远近.     

Prevalence of pathogenic Escherichia coli in the broiler house environment

Matched sampling of Escherichia coli from broiler house litter and bird lesions of either cellulitis or colibacillosis was conducted to investigate the relationship of pathogenic E. coli to those found in the environment. Isolates were collected from six broiler flocks representing six geographically disparate ranches. Isolates were compared by flock for similarity in serotype and genotyped by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Serotyping revealed a considerable dissociation between the two groups of isolates. The prevalence of pathogenic E. coli that matched the environmental isolates from the same house was 0 to 3%. Statistical analysis of the serotype data showed a strong dependence of serotype on isolate source, indicating a high probability that a particular serotype would be found among lesions or litter but not in both groups. Genotyping of isolates on two farms supported the results of serotyping and provided differentiation of isolates that could not by typed by serology. These results suggested that the prevalence of pathogenic E. coli in the broiler house was independent of the prevalence of other commensal or environmental E. coli. Understanding the composition of E. coli populations in commercial poultry production may have bearing on the epidemiology and control of E. coli related diseases.     

Studies on the bacterial etiology of airsacculitis of broilers in northern and middle Jordan with special reference to Escherichia coli,Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale,and Bordetella avium

A total of 100 poultry farms in northern and middle areas of Jordan were sampled to investigate the bacteria associated with airsacculitis in broiler chickens. Of 170 bacterial isolates, 88.2% were identified as Escherichia coli, 8.8% as Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale, and 3% as Bordetella avium. Fourteen serotypes of E. coli were identified among 66 typeable isolates and the remainder were untypeable. The most prevalent serotypes were O1, O8, and O78. The main serotype of O. rhinotracheale was serotype A. Experimental inoculation of O. rhinotracheale via intravenous, intratracheal, and intra-air sac routes resulted in growth retardation, thickening in the air sacs, arthritis, and liver necrosis. Reisolation of O. rhinotracheale from the air sacs, liver, trachea, heart, and spleen at day 7 postinoculation confirmed its role. In vitro susceptibility testing revealed that E. coli isolates were sensitive to gentamicin and colistin, O. rhinotracheale to tetracyline, and B. avium to most of the nine antibiotics examined.