Characterization of atypical Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (aEPEC) isolated from dogs

Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC), an important human pathogen has the ability to form attaching and effacing lesions on the intestinal epithelium and has been isolated from a wide range of species. Two EPEC subgroups are recognized: typical (tEPEC) and atypical (aEPEC) strains, differing by the presence of EAF plasmid and bundle-forming pilus (BFP) in typical strains and their absence in atypical strains. This study searched the presence of EPEC strains in 101 fecal samples of diarrheic (n = 65) and non-diarrheic (n = 36) dogs from two cities in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. The isolates were evaluated for the presence of eae, tir, espA, espB and bfpA genes, EAF plasmid, and for the insertion site of the LEE locus. Cell-adherence assays, fluorescent actin staining (FAS) test, hemolysin production and serotyping were also performed. Twenty eight aEPEC isolates were recovered from 48 eae-positive fecal samples, 24 from diarrheic animals and 4 from non-diarrheic ones. PCR showed that most isolates was positive for β or γ intimin, and for β or α subtypes of tir, espA and espB. Six isolates showed a selC insertion of locus LEE. Only two isolates from the same diarrheic animal harbored the bfpA gene, and none presented the EAF plasmid. Most isolates was FAS-positive and showed a localized adherence-like (LAL) in a 6 h HeLa cell-adherence assay. A wide diversity of serotypes was detected including O4:H16 and O51:H40, previously described in human disease. The phenotypic and genotypic markers of aEPEC isolated from diarrheic and non-diarrheic dogs were similar to those found in isolates recovered from human disease.