ABSTRACT
In an experimental study on a piggery it was found that haemolytic Escherichia coli of O-serotypes 138 or 139 proliferated in the intestinal tracts of pigs following weaning, with E. coli of the O-138 type also being occasionally recovered from unweaned pigs, and once from a sow. Organisms of the O-138 type produced heat labile enterotoxin and their presence in weaned pigs was associated with the development of severe post-weaning diarrhoea. E. coli of O-139 type produced a vero cell cytotoxin and were associated with a milder diarrhoea in weaned pigs. Under various managemental circumstances the O-138 type E. coli almost invariably proliferated after weaning. The O-139 strain of E. coli did however proliferate rather than the O-138 strain following the movement of weaned pigs to new accommodation, after weaned pigs were returned to their sow and then weaning again 5 days later, and very occasionally in pigs weaned at 5 weeks of age. In all these cases earlier proliferation of the O-138 E. coli had been detected, suggesting that this may be a prerequisite for proliferation of the O-139 strain.
Subject(s)
Diarrhea/veterinary , Escherichia coli Infections/microbiology , Escherichia coli Infections/veterinary , Escherichia coli Proteins , Escherichia coli/growth & development , Intestines/microbiology , Swine Diseases/microbiology , Animals , Bacterial Toxins/biosynthesis , Cytotoxins/biosynthesis , Diarrhea/microbiology , Enterotoxins/biosynthesis , Escherichia coli/classification , Escherichia coli/pathogenicity , Serotyping , Shiga Toxin 1 , Swine/microbiology , WeaningABSTRACT
During an outbreak of food poisoning at a church camp, 16 of the 25 people attending were affected. Despite a thorough search for a bacterial pathogen none was identified. An examination of the Escherichia coli serotypes present suggest that E. coli O159. H9 may have been the organism causing the outbreak.
Subject(s)
Disease Outbreaks/epidemiology , Foodborne Diseases/epidemiology , Bacteria/isolation & purification , Escherichia coli/pathogenicity , Foodborne Diseases/etiology , Humans , New Zealand , SerotypingABSTRACT
The faeces of nine subjects eating mainly at home were collected at regular intervals over periods ranging from 2--5 months. Although a large number of serotypes of E. coli were isolated, the variety per subject was lower than is usually found. In most subjects only a limited number of serotypes persisted over most of the periods of study while many serotypes were only isolated on single occasions.
