Evaluation of the presence of stx1 and stx2 genes in Escherichia albertii identified in patients with diarrhea and urinary tract infections in Kermanshah

Since stx1 and stx2 genes are plasmids and can be transferred between strains and species of Escherichia, therefore Escherichia that has one or both of these genes will be verotoxigenic. This research was conducted for the first time in Iran with the aim of investigating the presence of stx1 and stx2 genes in Escherichia alberti identified from patients with diarrhea and urinary infections in Kermanshah city.

60 urine samples and 40 fecal samples that were identified in Escherichia coli clinical laboratories were re-investigated in terms of phenotypic and biochemical characteristics.  Then, by using the specific primers, detection of lysP, mdh genes for E. albertii, uidA gene for E. coli and subsequently stx1, stx2 genes was performed by PCR method.

Phenotypic and biochemical tests indicated that all specimens matched the characteristics of Escherichia coli, but PCR findings showed that six of them belonged to Escherichia albertii (6%). The presence of the stx1 gene in one of the six Escherichia albertii samples was also demonstrated (16.66%).

The findings of this study showed that Escherichia albertii which is mistakenly diagnosed as Escherichia coli in clinical laboratories, can harbor stx genes and this matter is important in clinical aspects. Therefore, the use of molecular methods can help identify it more accurately.