African Journal of
Microbiology Research

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Microbiol. Res.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1996-0808
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJMR
  • Start Year: 2007
  • Published Articles: 5211

Full Length Research Paper

Detection of virulence genes of Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. from fecal samples of Kafue lechwe (Kobus leche kafuensis) and pastoral cattle in the interface areas of Zambia

Kengo Kuroda1, Rie Suzuki1, Kohei Ihara1, Hikaru Miyagi1, Hirokazu Watanabe1, Kazuki Sato1, Bernard Mudenda Hang’ombe2, Charles Mubita2, Nayuta Isogai2, Evans Mulenga2, Ladslav Moonga2, Hiroshi Isogai3, Tomokazu Fukuda4, Hiroshi Yoneyama1 and Emiko Isogai1*
1Laboratory of Animal Microbiology, Department of Microbial Biotechnology, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, 1-1 Tsutsumidori Amamiya-Machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 981-8555, Japan. 2School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, P. O. Box 32379, Lusaka, Zambia. 3Animal Research Center, Sapporo Medical University, South 1 West 17, Chuoh-ku, Sapporo, 060-8556, Japan. 4Laboratory of Animal Bleedings and Genetics, Department of Microbial Biotechnology, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, 1-1 Tsutsumidori Amamiya-Machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 981-8555, Japan
Email: [email protected]

  •  Published: 05 February 2013

Abstract

Diarrhea of unknown etiology causes death in human beings, especially children with severe acute malnutrition in Africa including Zambia. Transmission of pathogenic bacteria among wild animals, livestock and people is one of the suspected causes of diseases. In this study, we looked for virulence genes specific to Escherichia coli and Salmonellaspecies, that is, genes encoding enterotoxins (LT and ST1), EAST1, shiga toxin and invasion gene (invA, invB and ipaH) in fecal specimens of Kafue lechwe (Kobus leche kafuensis) antelopes and pastoral cattle in Zambia. The EAST1 gene was detected more frequently in Kafue lechwe (83.3%) than in cattle (33.3%) specimens (p<0.01). In contrast, the stx-2 positive samples in Kafue lechwe (20.0%) had significantly lower percentage than that in cattle (55.1%, p<0.01). There was no significant difference between lechwe antelope and cattle in the distribution of stx-1 gene. Salmonella-specific invA gene was detected in only one sample from cattle.  Genes encoding enterotoxins, that is, LT and ST1, and genes tdh, ipaB, ipaH and virB were absent in all the samples. Our results demonstrate the potential of lechwe faecal materials as a possible vehicle for transmission of diarrheagenic pathogens in the interface areas of Kafue Basin, Zambia. Kafue lechwe seems to be a wild reservoir of enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC). Wild animals such as Kafue lechwe can bring enteropathogenic bacteria to cattle and human beings in interface areas.

 

Key words: Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC), enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC), Salmonella, EAST1, stx-1/stx-2, invA

Copyright © 2023 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article.

This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0

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