ENTEROPATHOGENIC ESCHERICHIA-COLI FROM THE RABBIT

Intestinal pathology is the main cause of morbidity and mortality in breeding colonies of commercial rabbits. Among pathogens, some strains of Escherichia coli are widely involved in enteric infections. In France, pathogenic E coli belonging to the 0103 serogroup has been isolated in 30-40% of weanling rabbits with diarrhea. Given these conditions, it was of interest to review the different groups of diarrheagenic E coli and their plasmid-encoded virulence properties, especially adhesion and secretion of enterotoxins or Cytotoxin. We attempted to investigate the E coli responsible for diarrhea in the rabbit, particularly those belonging to the 015 and 0103 serogroups. Like E coli 015, the pathogenic strains of the 0103 serogroup adhere to intestinal cells and induce effacement of microvilli with pedestal formation. Thus, these strains which are also non-invasive and do not synthetize classical LT or ST enterotoxins, could be considered as enteropathogenic E coli (EPEC) or enterohemorrhagic E coli (EHEC). In fact, E coli 0103 is often associated with severe hemorrhagic diarrhea. Enteropathogenic E coli 0103 could therefore be a good model for studying intestinal pathology due to EPEC or EHEC in the young rabbit or in other animals and man.