Volume 53 (2003) Issue: 2003 No#1

FREQUENCY OF ESCHERICHIA COLI ISOLATES FROM PIGS SUFFERING FROM DIFFERENT MANIFESTATIONS OF “POSTWEANING COLI COMPLEX” (PWCC) IN AGRICULTURAL HUNGARY / ROMANIA / SERBIA

Author(s): Docic M, Bilkei

Keywords:Swine, Escherichia coli, weaning, fimbrial adhesins, genotypes, diarrhea, edema disease, wasting, hemorrhagic gastroenteritis

Gross postmortem pathologic-anatomical examination and polymerase chain reaction analyses for fimbriae (F), heat-stable (ST) and heat-labile (LT) enterotoxin and verotoxin (Shiga-like toxin (SLT) type II) were performed for 351 weaned piglets originating from units in agricultural Hungary / Romania / Serbia. The majority of isolates (94,87%) carrying enterotoxin genes also carried genes for one of the fimbrial adhesins. The predominant genotypes were F4 LT STb and F18 Sta STb SLT respectively. This genetic combination may be explained by regional clonal expansion. Sixty-nine (20%) animals were diagnosed with postweaning diarrhea, thirty five (10%) with edema disease, 240 (68%) with postweaning wasting and 7 piglets (2%) exhibited hemorrhagic gastroenteritis. Postweaning wasting was the major cause of losses.