RESUMO
To investigate the distribution of LEE pathogenicity island and HPI of Yersinia entercolitica in Escherichia coli isolates from weaned piglets, PCR based on intimin gene (eaeA) of LEE pathogenicity island and high molecular weight protein 2 (HMWP1) gene (irp2) of HPI was developed. A total of 240 isolates from 140 diarrheic, 76 edematous and 24 edematous/diarrheic weaned piglets from different farms were tested for the presence of the two genes. Sequence analysis of randomly selected PCR products showed that eaeA gene of 5 isolates was 100%, irp2 gene of 7 isolates was 98.2%, fyuA gene of 5 isolates was 98.3% and Asn-tRNA-intB of 5 isolates was 95.8% identical to the published sequences. Isolates with LEE + HPI gene were more frequently detected in diarrheic swine than in edematous swine and edematous/diarrheic swine, and isolates with LEE gene were more frequently detected in edematous/diarrheic piglets than in edematous and diarrheic piglets. Furthermore, isolates with LEE or HPI or LEE + HPI were more frequently detected in diarrheic swine. 72.5% of HPI + isolates were fyuA positive and linked to asn-tRNA.