A total of 100 fecal samples from less than 3 month old piglets with (n=60) or without (n=40) diarrhoea were collected and processed for isolation of Escherichia coli and screened for the presence of E. coli. A total of 254 E. coli isolates obtained were subjected to multiplex polymerase chain reaction (m-PCR) based screening of stx1, stx2, eaeA and hlyA genes. Out of 254 isolates, presence of at least one virulence gene were detected in 51 (20.08%) isolates of which 30 (11.81%) and 21 (8.26%) isolates were identified as shiga toxin producing (STEC) and enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), respectively. The antimicrobial sensitivity pattern of the STEC and EPEC isolates obtained in the present study revealed prevalence of high level of resistance against bacitracin, methicillin, novobiocin, lomefloxacin, kanamycin, amikacin, ciprofloxacin and spectinomycin.
EPEC, HUS, STEC, TTP
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