Evaluation of vt2-subtyping methods for identifying vt2g in verotoxigenic Escherichia coli

Abstract

Verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC) are important pathogens that can cause severe human disease, including haemorrhagic colitis and haemolytic-uraemic syndrome. A new variant of verotoxin, vt2g, has recently been described. It was possible to find this variant for the first time in Argentina among VTEC isolated from cattle. The present study evaluated the identification of this gene with three conventional methods used for subtyping the vt2 gene. The results show that it is possible to screen VTEC strains for the presence of vt2g without the implementation of new protocols.