Detection of zoonotic diarrheagenic pathotypes of in healthy household dogs.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Intestinal pathotypes of belong to the companion animals may poses potential risk to public health following zoonotic transmission. Therefore, this study was proposed to determine the virulence genes associated to diarrheagenic strains isolated from healthy pet dogs and their owners in the southeast of Iran, Kerman province.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Totally 168 isolates were collected from 49 healthy household dogs and their owners. Seventy isolates were obtained from non-pet owners as control group. Presence or absence of the virulence genes including and were screened by conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and dissemination pattern of the genes were studied among the various hosts.

RESULTS

PCR examinations showed that the most frequent virulence gene was (6.1%) in dogs followed by in dog owners (6.1%) and in controls (8.6%). The most frequent pathotypes in dogs, their owners and controls were EIEC (6.1%), EHEC (4.08%) and EPEC (8.5%), respectively. In one of studied houses, both of dog and its owner harbored strains with same virulence profile and pathotype (EHEC).

CONCLUSION

These results collectively indicate that healthy household dogs probably are the mild reservoir of potential virulent strains with possible active transmission to their contact owner. However, even non-pet owners seemed to be a notable source of intestinal pathotypes, especially EPEC, for their environment. Transmission of pathotypes may occurs by direct contact with the reservoirs or ingestion of contaminated food. These pathotypes are potentially virulent and creates public health hazards. Further studies are needed for better understanding of dissemination mechanisms of pathotypes among humans and their pets.