Víctor Hugo Márquez López, Iliana Quiroz Serrano, Patrocinio del Pilar Miranda Delgado, Luz Elena Vidales Rodríguez, Sergio Hugo Sánchez Rodríguez, María Argelia López Luna, Armando Flores de la Torre, Rosa María Ramírez Santoyo
Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) shares virulence attributes with strains of E. coli that cause extraintestinal infections in humans and it is considered that it could cause a zoonosis; therefore, the objective of this work was to determine prevalence in a group of APEC isolates of twelve genes associated with virulence as well as identifying the phylogenetic groups to which they belong. According to the results it was found that one of the isolates harbors 91.6% of the virulence genes analyzed and that most of these have between 7 and 8 of these genes. feoB and iss had the highest prevalence with 95.6% and the genes related to iron acquisition were present in more than 60% of APEC, while those of the ibeA invasin and vat toxin were those that were detected with the lowest prevalence The results showed the great genetic diversity of APEC isolates and suggest that bacterial systems of iron acquisition, as well as those related to resistance to host are fundamental virulence factors in these bacteria, however, the presence The rest of the virulence genes is important, since it provides valuable information for the development of vaccines against avian colibacilosis. It was determined that a high percentage of APEC belongs to the phylogenetic group B1 group from which mainly commensal and pathogenic E. coli strains derive, this result strengthens findings on the evolution of pathogens through the acquisition of virulence genes through the horizontal route.
