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Journal of Clinical Microbiology, August 2001, p. 2829-2834, Vol. 39, No. 8
Laboratory of Enteric Pathogens, National
Public Health Institute, FIN-00300 Helsinki,
Finland,1 and the International
Escherichia and Klebsiella Centre (WHO), Statens Serum Institut,
Copenhagen, Denmark2
Received 24 January 2001/Returned for modification 13 April
2001/Accepted 30 May 2001
All human Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC)
non-O157 strains (n = 56) isolated in Finland from
1990 to August 2000 were characterized for the O:H serotype,
stx1 and stx2 genes, production of enterohemolysin, and sensitivity to 12 antimicrobial agents. Strains of the same serotype were genotyped by pulsed-field gel
electrophoresis (PFGE) after XbaI restriction of total DNA. The 56 non-O157 isolates belonged to 29 serotypes. Two of the serotypes
(O102:H7 and OX181:H49) have not previously been described as being
associated with STEC infections in humans or isolated from animals.
Thirty-four strains (61%) within seven serotypes (O103:H2 [14
isolates], O26:H11 [6 isolates], O145:H28 [4 isolates], O145:HNM
[3 isolates], O15:HNM [3 isolates], OX174:H21 [2 isolates], and O
Rough:HNM [2 isolates]) were represented by more than one isolate. Of
these strains, O103:H2 isolates were divided into seven, O26:H11
isolates were divided into four, and the rest within a serotype were
divided into two genotypes in PFGE. In PCR, 31 (55%) of the 56 strains
were positive for the stx2 gene only and 24 strains (43%) were positive for stx1 only. One
strain (O43:H2) carried both stx1 and
stx2. Forty-two strains (75%) produced
enterohemolysin, and 39 strains (70%) possessed the eae
gene. Of the latter 39 strains, 36 (92%) were enterohemolytic, whereas
only 6 (35%) of the 17 isolates lacking the eae gene were
enterohemolytic (P < 0.001). The majority of the
strains (44 strains, 79%) were sensitive to all 12 antimicrobials
tested. Of the 56 strains, 20 (36%) were associated with small family
outbreaks in nine families and 14 (25%) were associated with recent
travel abroad.
0095-1137/01/$04.00+0 DOI: 10.1128/JCM.39.8.2829-2834.2001
Copyright © 2001, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.
Clinical Isolates of Non-O157 Shiga Toxin-Producing
Escherichia coli: Serotypes, Virulence Characteristics, and
Molecular Profiles of Strains of the Same Serotype
*
Corresponding author. Mailing address: National Public
Health Institute, Laboratory of Enteric Pathogens, Mannerheimintie 166, FIN-00300 Helsinki, Finland. Phone: 358-9-47448245. Fax: 358-9-47448238. E-mail: anja.siitonen{at}KTL.fi.
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