Development of a serogroup-specific DNA microarray for identification of Escherichia coli strains associated with bovine septicemia and diarrhea

Escherichia coli strains belonging to serogroups O8, O9, O15, O26, O35, O78, O86, O101, O115 and O119 are commonly associated with septicemia or diarrhea in calves and pose a significant threat to the cattle industry worldwide. In this study, a microarray detection system targeting O-antigen-specific genes was developed for the identification of those serogroups. By testing against 186 E. coli and Shigella O-serogroup reference strains, 36 E. coli clinical isolates, and 9 representative strains of other closely related bacterial species, the microarray was shown to be specific and reproducible. The detection sensitivity was determined to be 50 ng genomic DNA. The microarray assay developed here is suitable for the detection and identification of relevant strains from environmental and/or clinical samples, and is especially useful for epidemiologic studies.