Escherichia Coli in Bovine Calf Scours

Abstract

Scours is caused by inflammation of the intestinal tract of ruminants leading to significant mortality and morbidity rates. It is predominately found in neonatal ruminants where the disease can occur 36 hours after birth. One of the most common infectious agents linked to scours is pathogenic Escherichia coli. Therefore, it is important to understand the virulence factors, diagnostic assays, age of the animals infected, and the co-factors associated with an E. coli scours outbreak. These factors are important in both scours disease pathogenesis and potential food safety-related postharvest pathogens. Using the most frequently identified virulence factors, a new scours diagnostic assay could be created to detect and prevent disease in cattle. The present study determined that virulence factors astA, fimC, fimH, int1, int2, irp2, papC were identified over 15% percent of the time and could be implemented into a more specific multiplex PCR test for pathogenic E. coli.