The rabbit as a new reservoir host of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli

Emerg Infect Dis. 2003 Dec;9(12):1592-7. doi: 10.3201/eid0912.030223.

Abstract

We investigated the prevalence of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) in rabbits acquired from two commercial vendors and a local petting zoo. Fecal samples from 34 Dutch Belted (DB) and 15 New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits were cultured; and isolates were biotyped, serotyped, tested by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and genotyped by repetitive-element sequence-based PCR (Rep-PCR). Seven (25%) of 28 DB rabbits acquired from one commercial source were positive for EHEC, including O153:H- and O153:H7. One (9%) of 11 NZW rabbits from the same source was positive for eae-, stx1+ O153 strains. In contrast, six DB rabbits from another commercial source and four rabbits from a petting zoo were negative for EHEC. Rep-PCR demonstrated that the O153 EHEC and O145 enteropathogenic E. coli were two distinct clones. Our study indicates that rabbits are a new reservoir host of EHEC that may pose a zoonotic risk for humans.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adhesins, Bacterial / chemistry
  • Adhesins, Bacterial / genetics
  • Animals
  • Blotting, Southern
  • Carrier Proteins / chemistry
  • Carrier Proteins / genetics
  • DNA, Bacterial / chemistry
  • DNA, Bacterial / genetics
  • Disease Reservoirs / veterinary*
  • Escherichia coli Infections / microbiology
  • Escherichia coli Infections / veterinary*
  • Escherichia coli O157 / genetics
  • Escherichia coli O157 / isolation & purification*
  • Escherichia coli Proteins*
  • Feces / microbiology
  • Food Microbiology
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction / veterinary
  • Rabbits / microbiology*
  • Shiga Toxin 1 / chemistry
  • Shiga Toxin 1 / genetics
  • Shiga Toxin 2 / chemistry
  • Shiga Toxin 2 / genetics

Substances

  • Adhesins, Bacterial
  • Carrier Proteins
  • DNA, Bacterial
  • Escherichia coli Proteins
  • Shiga Toxin 1
  • Shiga Toxin 2
  • eaeA protein, E coli