Open AccessPrevalence and Characteristics of eae - and stx -Positive Strains of Escherichia coli from Wild Birds in the Immediate Environment of Tokyo Bay
Author(s) -
Hideki Kobayashi,
Mika Kanazaki,
Enjô Hata,
Michinori Kubo
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
applied and environmental microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.552
H-Index - 324
eISSN - 1070-6291
pISSN - 0099-2240
DOI - 10.1128/aem.01534-08
Subject(s) - intimin , escherichia coli , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , serotype , bay , enterobacteriaceae , veterinary medicine , virology , gene , genetics , medicine , civil engineering , engineering
The prevalence and characteristics ofeae - andstx -positiveEscherichia coli strains in wild birds in the immediate environment of Tokyo Bay, Japan, was examined using cloacal swab samples taken from 447 birds belonging to 62 species. PCR screening showed that the prevalences ofstx - andeae -positive strains ofEscherichia coli were 5% (23/447) and 25% (113/447), respectively. Four strains ofstx 2f -positiveE. coli were isolated from two feral pigeons, an oriental turtle dove and a barn swallow. In contrast, 39eae- positiveE. coli strains were isolated, and most of the strains possessed a subtype of intimin that is classified as a minor group of human intimins, such as intimin υ, κ, and μ. Moreover, these strains did not possess any of the other pathogenic genes tested, such asstx s,ehxA ,bfp , orirp . Thus, wild birds were considered to be a reservoir of atypical enteropathogenicE. coli .