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Prevalence of virulence genes among Escherichia coli strains isolated from food and carcass swabs of different animal origins in Croatia Cover

Prevalence of virulence genes among Escherichia coli strains isolated from food and carcass swabs of different animal origins in Croatia

Open Access
|Aug 2022

Figures & Tables

Fig. 1

Distribution of virulence genes within phylogenetic groups
Distribution of virulence genes within phylogenetic groups

Occurrence of virulence genes and phylogenetic groups in different animal species

Virulence geneNumber of positive strains, phylogenetic group and type of sample
Total gene-positive strains (%)
PoultryGamePigCattle
EAST14 (2A, 1B1, 1F); 3 BM, 1 MSM3 (1B1, 1D, 1A); FD, RD,WB2 (2A); CS4 (3A, 1C); CS13 (36.11)
eae4 (3A, 1E); BM1 (B1); RD--2 (2B1); MM7 (19.44)
EAST1, STII--4 (3A, 1B1); DE, 2 FD, M1 (B1); CS--5 (13.89)
EAST1, eae1 (B1); BM------1 (2.78)
EAST1, ehxA--1 (B1); WB----1 (2.78)
eae, ehxA----1 (D); CS--1 (2.78)
cnf1, cnf21 (F); BM1 (B2); DE1 (B1); CS1 (B1); MP4 (11.11)
cnf1----1 (B1); CS1 (B2); FM2 (5.56)
vtx1--1 (E); RD----1 (2.78)
vtx2----1 (C); CS--1 (2.78)
n2 (%)10 (27.78)11 (36.56)7 (19.44)8 (22.22)36

Distribution of E_ coli phylogenetic groups in different animal species

Strain originPhylogenetic group
Total number of strains
AB1B2CDEF
Poultry1160022627
Game452021014
Pig13120131030
Cattle10132220029

Total (%)38 (38)36 (36)4 (4)3 (3)9 (9)4 (4)6 (6)100

P 0.039

The frequency of virulent genes compared to the origin of the sample

Strain originNumber of strains (%)Virulence gene presenceNumber of virulence genes in strains

Negative (%)Positive (%)One (%)Two (%)
Poultry27 (27)17 (62.96)10 (37.04)8 (80)2 (20)
Game14 (14)3 (21.43)11 (78.57)5 (45.45)6 (54.55)
Pig30 (30)23 (76.67)7 (23.33)4 (57.14)3 (42.86)
Cattle29 (29)21 (72.41)8 (27.59)7 (87.5)1 (12.5)

Total (%)100 (100)64 (64)36 (36)24 (24)12 (12)

P 0.004 0.003

Pathogroups, virulence factors and virulence genes

PathogroupVirulence factorFull name of virulence geneVirulence gene
VTEC (EHEC)toxinverotoxin 1, 2vtx1, vtx2
VTEC (EHEC)haemolysinhaemolysinehxA
VTEC (EHEC)adhesinSTEC autoagglutinating adhesinsaa
EAECadhesinaggregative adherence regulation factoraggR
EAECadhesinaggR-activated island CaaiC
EAECtoxinheat-stable enterotoxin 1EAST1
EPECadhesinbundle forming pilibfp
EPECadhesinintimineae
EIEC invasion plasmid antigen HipaH
ETECtoxinheat-stable enterotoxin I, IISTI (stp, sth), STII
ETECtoxinheat-labile enterotoxinltp
ExPECcytotoxincytotoxic necrotizing factor 1, 2cnf1, cnf2

The relationship between phylogenetic groups and virulence genes

Phylogenetic groupVirulence gene confirmations
n (%)P
Absent (%)Present (%)
A24 (37.5)14 (38.89)38 (38)
B124 (37.5)12 (33.33)36 (36)
B22 (3.13)2 (5.56)4 (4)
C1 (1.56)2 (5.56)3 (3)
D7 (10.94)2 (5.56)9 (9)0.833
E2 (3.13)2 (5.56)4 (4)
F4 (6.25)2 (5.56)6 (6)
Total (%)64 (64)36 (36)100 (100)
Language: English
Page range: 395 - 402
Submitted on: Mar 31, 2022
Accepted on: Aug 16, 2022
Published on: Aug 30, 2022
Published by: National Veterinary Research Institute in Pulawy
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 4 issues per year

© 2022 Dora Stojević, Andrea Humski, Marina Mikulić, Vesna Dobranić, Irena Reil, Sanja Duvnjak, Miroslav Benić, Relja Beck, Željko Cvetnić, published by National Veterinary Research Institute in Pulawy
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.