Host, environmental, and bacterial factors associated with animal pathogenic and zoonotic Escherichia coli infections

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Escherichia coli is an important cause of a wide range of diseases in production animals and humans worldwide, animals also being a reservoir of infection for humans. We have set up a programme for the surveillance of pathogenic E. coli worldwide, leading to the creation of an extensive strain collection and database. We have demonstrated that a novel E. coli has emerged in pigs with postweaning diarrhea in recent years. This type of E. coli is also found in healthy weaned pigs, although it is more prevalent on farms with a history of recurrent postweaning diarrhea than on farms with no problems. The role of the bacterial, host, and environmental factors in the ability of these bacteria to persist in certain healthy animals and in the development of pathology have not been well defined.