Detection of pap G Gene in Enteropathogenic Escherichia Coli (EPEC) Strains Isolated from Urine and Blood of Hospitalized Patients' in Khorramabad City, Iran

Background and Objective: Escherichia coli (E-coli) is a normal gram negative organism that inhabit the human and animal intestinal tract. Pap G gene has an important role in creating P -fimbriae tip and in producing septicemia and urinary tract infection. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of pap G gene in EPEC strains isolated from urine and blood. Materials and Methods: From March to October 2013, 90 colonies of urine and blood samples suspected to Escherichia coli were collected. The identity of isolates was determined by standard biochemical tests. Their antibiotic resistance pattern was detected by susceptibility disk diffusion method (Global standard CLSI) and the frequency of pap G gene was examined by Multiplex PCR and pap G positive isolates were serotyped against O antigen. Results: From 90 suspected colonies of urine and blood, 72 (80%) cases found to be E- coli. Out of 72 cases, 65 (90.27%) cases were isolated from urine and 7 (9.73%) cases isolated from blood. 30 out of 72 samples were positive for pap G (II, III) gene. Five out of 30 (16.6%) cases were found to belong to O26, O128, O125, O114 and O55 EPEC strains. Conclusion: In this study, the pap G (II, III) gene was observed in the isolated enteropathogenic E- coli from the hospitalized patientschr('39') urine and blood samples. Therefore, entropathogenic strains of E-coli can also cause urinary tract infections and septicemia similar to uropathogenic strains which having pap G gene and P- fimbriae tip.