01895nas a2200205   4500000000100000000000100001008004100002260007000043100001200113700001800125700001200143700001200155700001300167700001700180245014200197300001200339490000800351520131600359022001401675       2007                            d  c07/2007bSchlütersche Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KGaHannover1 aS Barth1 aA Tscholshiew1 aC Menge1 aR Weiss1 aG Baljer1 aR Bauerfeind00aVirulence and fitness gene patterns of Shiga toxin-encoding Escherichio coli isolated from pigs with edema disease or diarrhea in Germany  a307-3160 v1203 aFecal Escherichia coli isolates (n = 3,218) from piglets with edema disease or diarrhea were screened forthe genes of Stx2 and Stx2 variants.A total of 283 Ecoli isolates (8.8 %) proved exclusively positive for Stx2e and most of these (85.1 %) harbored genes for F18 fimbria.No recognized adhesins were detectable in 14.5 % of the isolates.Genes for heat-stableor heat-labile E.coli enterotoxins were found in F18+ as well as F18" isolates (51.9 %and 33.3 %, respectively). Five isolates also harbored fyuA and irp2 genes which are indicative of a high pathogenicity island in E.coli. All Stx2e+ isolates lacked genes for intimin, EHEC hemolysin,STEC autoag-glutinating adhesin, subtilase cytotoxin,serine protease Espl.The majority of Stx2e+ isolates belonged to phylogenetic groups A (59.3 %) and D (38.9 %) and only few isolates were classified as B1 and B2 (1.8 %).The results suggest that Stx2e-produ-cing E coli strains are highly prevalent in diseased pigs in Germany. Despite their significant diversity, most strains possess all typical features (Stx2e, F18) of porcine edema disease E.coli. However, a considerable portion of porcine strains resembles published human Stx2e+ strains in that they lackany recognized pig-associated adhesin.Thus,a zoonotic potential cannot be excluded for these strains.  a0005-9366