Research -Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157 and non-O157 among ruminants in Peninsular Malaysia: pathogenicity, antibiotic resistance, and survival under sub-lethal stress conditions.

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Pathogenic Escherichia coli (E. coli) are a common cause of diarrhoea and a broad range of extra-intestinal diseases in humans. Among these pathogenic strains, Shiga toxin producing E. coli (STEC), has emerged as one of the most virulent virotypes associated with cases of food borne disease in humans. Ruminants are considered an important reservoir of these pathogens. In Malaysia, data on the prevalence and characterisation of E. coli O157 and the non-O157 serogroups in ruminants is limited. Thus, E. coli including STEC O157 and serogroups of non-O157 STEC were isolated and characterised based on their virulence, antibiotic resistance and survival under sub-lethal heat, cold and acid stress conditions. A total of 136 ruminant feces samples were collected from six different farms in Peninsular Malaysia for the isolation and characterisation of E. coli O157 and the non-O157 serogroups O26, O103, O111, O121, O45 and O145. STEC O157:H7 was isolated from six (4.4 %) samples, from which 32 O157:H7 strains were obtained. All 32 STEC O157:H7 strains from this study were motile, carried stx2c, eaeA-γ1 and ehxA, belonged to the less virulent lineage II, contained an occupied sbcB locus, and were negative for Stx production. Non-O157 STEC was isolated from 2 (1.5 %) samples, from which 2 non-O157 strains of unknown serotype were obtained.