Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Journal of Clinical Microbiology logoLink to Journal of Clinical Microbiology
. 1982 Oct;16(4):715–723. doi: 10.1128/jcm.16.4.715-723.1982

Rotavirus and hemolytic enteropathogenic Escherichia coli in weanling diarrhea of pigs.

J G Lecce, R K Balsbaugh, D A Clare, M W King
PMCID: PMC272452  PMID: 6296193

Abstract

Since the turn of the century, Escherichia coli has been implicated in the etiology of weanling diarrhea (colibacillosis). However, rotavirus--a virus that destroys enterocytes--has been shown recently to be causally associated with weanling diarrhea of pigs. The role of both rotavirus and hemolytic enteropathogenic E. coli in weanling diarrhea was assessed in this study. Pigs from a closed herd were farrowed and weaned by two markedly different systems: an "intensive care sanitary" system and a "conventional unsanitary" system. Pigs weaned at 3 weeks of age in the sanitary system usually experienced a rotaviral diarrhea about 16 days postweaning. No hemolytic E. coli were detected in feces from these pigs. Peers weaned at the same time by the unsanitary system commenced diarrhea 3 days postweaning. Rotavirus and nonhemolytic E. coli were detected in the feces at the onset of diarrhea and for a few days thereafter. Then, the aerobic fecal flora shifted to nearly pure hemolytic enteropathogenic E. coli. About 10 days later, the diarrhea waned, and the fecal flora shifted back to nonhemolytic E. coli. This hemolytic E. coli shedding pattern could not be duplicated in artificially inoculated sanitary pigs unless they were inoculated with the hemolytic E. coli during a rotaviral-associated diarrhea. Otherwise, the shedding of hemolytic E. coli was fleeting, and the diarrhea, if present, was mild. Pigs developed humoral antibodies to the rotavirus but not to the hemolytic E. coli. We conclude that rotavirus damages the epithelium of the small intestines, which changes the luminal environment to one that favors colonization by enteropathogenic E. coli.

Full text

PDF
715

Images in this article

722Image
on p.722

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Beachey E. H. Bacterial adherence: adhesin-receptor interactions mediating the attachment of bacteria to mucosal surface. J Infect Dis. 1981 Mar;143(3):325–345. doi: 10.1093/infdis/143.3.325. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Chopra S. L., Blackwood A. C., Dale D. G. Enteritis of Early Weaned Pigs: I. Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli. Can J Comp Med Vet Sci. 1964 Oct;28(10):239–247. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Coalson J. A., Lecce J. G. Herd differences in the expression of fatal diarrhea in artificially reared piglets weaned after 12 hours vs. 36 hours of nursing. J Anim Sci. 1973 Jun;36(6):1114–1121. doi: 10.2527/jas1973.3661114x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Guerrant R. L., Brunton L. L., Schnaitman T. C., Rebhun L. I., Gilman A. G. Cyclic adenosine monophosphate and alteration of Chinese hamster ovary cell morphology: a rapid, sensitive in vitro assay for the enterotoxins of Vibrio cholerae and Escherichia coli. Infect Immun. 1974 Aug;10(2):320–327. doi: 10.1128/iai.10.2.320-327.1974. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Hill I. R., Kenworthy R. Microbiology of pigs and their environment in relation to weaning. J Appl Bacteriol. 1970 Jun;33(2):299–316. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2672.1970.tb02201.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Jones G. W., Rutter J. M. Role of the K88 antigen in the pathogenesis of neonatal diarrhea caused by Escherichia coli in piglets. Infect Immun. 1972 Dec;6(6):918–927. doi: 10.1128/iai.6.6.918-927.1972. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. KENWORTHY R., CRABB W. E. THE INTESTINAL FLORA OF YOUNG PIGS, WITH REFERENCE TO EARLY WEANING, ESCHERICHIA COLI AND SCOURS. J Comp Pathol. 1963 Jul;73:215–228. doi: 10.1016/s0368-1742(63)80025-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Kenworthy R., Allen W. D. The significance of Escherichia Coli to the young pig. J Comp Pathol. 1966 Jan;76(1):31–44. doi: 10.1016/0021-9975(66)90045-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Lecce J. G. Absorption of macromolecules by neonatal intestine. Biol Neonat. 1965;9(1):50–61. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Lecce J. G., Coalson J. A. Diets for rearing colostrum-free piglets with an automatic feeding device. J Anim Sci. 1976 Mar;42(3):622–629. doi: 10.2527/jas1976.423622x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Lecce J. G., King M. W., Mock R. Reovirus-like agent associated with fatal diarrhea in neonatal pigs. Infect Immun. 1976 Sep;14(3):816–825. doi: 10.1128/iai.14.3.816-825.1976. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Lecce J. G., King M. W. Role of rotavirus (reo-like) in weanling diarrhea of pigs. J Clin Microbiol. 1978 Oct;8(4):454–458. doi: 10.1128/jcm.8.4.454-458.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Mouwen J. M. White scours in piglets. I. Stereomicroscopy of the mucosa of the small intestine. Vet Pathol. 1971;8(4):364–380. doi: 10.1177/030098587100800407. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Nagy B., Moon H. W., Isaacson R. E. Colonization of porcine intestine by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli: selection of piliated forms in vivo, adhesion of piliated forms to epithelial cells in vitro, and incidence of a pilus antigen among porcine enteropathogenic E. coli. Infect Immun. 1977 Apr;16(1):344–352. doi: 10.1128/iai.16.1.344-352.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Nielsen N. O., Sautter J. H. Infection of ligated intestinal loops with hemolytic Escherichia coli in the pig. Can Vet J. 1968 Apr;9(4):90–97. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Smith H. W., Halls S. Observations by the ligated intestinal segment and oral inoculation methods on Escherichia coli infections in pigs, calves, lambs and rabbits. J Pathol Bacteriol. 1967 Apr;93(2):499–529. doi: 10.1002/path.1700930211. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Smith H. W., Halls S. Studies on Escherichia coli enterotoxin. J Pathol Bacteriol. 1967 Apr;93(2):531–543. doi: 10.1002/path.1700930212. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Tzipori S. R., Makin T. J., Smith M. L., Krautil F. L. Clinical manifestations of diarrhea in calves infected with rotavirus and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli. J Clin Microbiol. 1981 Jun;13(6):1011–1016. doi: 10.1128/jcm.13.6.1011-1016.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Tzipori S., Chandler D., Makin T., Smith M. Escherichia coli and rotavirus infections in four-week-old gnotobiotic piglets fed milk or dry food. Aust Vet J. 1980 Jun;56(6):279–284. doi: 10.1111/j.1751-0813.1980.tb05724.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Tzipori S., Chandler D., Smith M., Makin T., Hennessy D. Factors contributing to postweaning diarrhoea in a large intensive piggery. Aust Vet J. 1980 Jun;56(6):274–278. doi: 10.1111/j.1751-0813.1980.tb05723.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Tzipori S., Makin T., Smith M., Krautil F. Enteritis in foals induced by rotavirus and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli. Aust Vet J. 1982 Jan;58(1):20–23. doi: 10.1111/j.1751-0813.1982.tb00572.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Tzipori S., Sherwood D., Angus K. W., Campbell I., Gordon M. Diarrhea in lambs: experimental infections with enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, rotavirus, and Cryptosporidium sp. Infect Immun. 1981 Aug;33(2):401–406. doi: 10.1128/iai.33.2.401-406.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Wray C., Dawson M., Afshar A., Lucas M. Experimental Escherichia coli and rotavirus infection in lambs. Res Vet Sci. 1981 May;30(3):379–381. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Clinical Microbiology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES