Open AccessEpidemiological importance of humans and domestic animals as reservoirs of verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli
Author(s) -
Srdjan Lazić,
M Cobeljić,
Bane Dimic,
Dolores Opačić,
Valentina Stojanovic
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
vojnosanitetski pregled
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.123
H-Index - 19
eISSN - 2406-0720
pISSN - 0042-8450
DOI - 10.2298/vsp0601013l
Subject(s) - vtec , verocytotoxin , outbreak , microbiology and biotechnology , escherichia coli , feces , biology , pathogen , virology , genetics , gene
A "new" pathogenic agent, verocytotoxin--producing Escherichia coli (VTEC) emerged in the last 20 years, causing an increased number of sporadic cases, as well as of outbreaks of diarrhoeal diseases. Humans and animals can be infected with VTEC, but their epidemiological importance as a reservoir of this agent is not quite clear, especially in the Balkan region. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of isolation of VTEC from the intestinal tract of humans and animals and to determine the serogroups of the isolated strains.