Fecal samples from 720 healthy, domestic animals representing seven different species (cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, chickens, dogs, and cats) were investigated for verotoxin (VT [Shiga-like toxin])-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC). VTEC were isolated from 208 animals (28.9%), most frequently from sheep (66.6% VTEC carriers), goats (56.1%), and cattle (21.1%). VTEC were isolated less frequently from pigs (7.5%), cats

Two separate animal populations consisting of a herd of cattle (19 animals) and a flock of sheep (25 animals) were investigated for strains of Escherichia coli producing Shiga toxins (STEC) over a time period of 6 months. Thirty-three STEC were isolated from 63.2% of cattle and grouped into 11 serotypes and eight electrophoretic types (ETs) by multilocus enzyme analysis. In sheep, 88% of the animals excreted STEC (n ‫؍‬ 67 isolates) belonging to 17 different serotypes and 12 different ETs. STEC from cattle and sheep differed with respect to serotype, and only 4 of the 16 ETs occurred in both animal populations. In cattle, ET14 (O116:H21) strains predominated, whereas other STEC serotypes occurred only sporadically. The predominating STEC types in sheep were ET4 (O125 strains), ET11 (O128:H2 and others), and ET14 (O146:H21). In contrast to their diversity, STEC originating from the same animal population were similar with respect to Shiga toxin (stx) genes. Almost all STEC isolated from cattle were positive for stx 2 and stx 2c ; only one was positive for stx 1. In sheep, almost all STEC isolated were positive for stx 1 and stx 2 , whereas stx 2c was not found. XbaI-digested DNAs of genetically closely related O146:H21 strains have different restriction profiles which were associated with size alterations in XbaI fragments hybridizing with stx 1-and stx 2-specific DNA probes. Our results indicate that stx-encoding bacteriophages might be the origin of the genetic heterogeneity in STEC from animals.

Shiga-like toxin (verotoxin)-producing strains of Escherichia coli (SLTEC) originating from healthy cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, cats, and dogs were investigated for properties which are related to virulence of E. coli for humans. The slt-II (Shiga-like toxin II) and slt-IIc genes were frequent in SLTEC from healthy cattle and dogs but were rarely found in SLTEC from other animals. The slt-IIe gene was detected only in porcine SLTEC. SLTEC from goats and SLTEC from sheep were found to carry different SLT-II determinants which were not further characterized genetically. Sixty (28.8%) of 208 SLTEC from healthy animals showed diffuse adherence to HEp-2 cells. However, none of the strains was positive for genes specific for the local adherence (eaf), diffuse adherence (daa), or enteroaggregative (EAggEC) E. coli type. Only 3 (1.4%) of the 208 SLTEC were positive for attaching and effacing E. coli (eae) sequences. The enterohemolytic phenotype was present in 128 of the 208 SLTEC. Almost all enterohemolytic animal SLTEC were found to carry DNA sequences specific for the plasmid-encoded enterohemorrhagic E. coli hemolysin of E. coli O157. Bacteriophage-associated enterohemolysin (Ehly1 and Ehly2)-specific sequences were detected only in 14.4% of the 208 SLTEC and were linked with certain serotypes. The SLTEC from healthy animals constitute a very heterogeneous group of E. coli, and many of these strains appeared to be specific for their hosts. The absence of eae sequences in most animal SLTEC could indicate that these strains are less virulent for humans than the classical eae-positive enterohemorrhagic E. coli types.