The second assay detects Shiga-toxin (stx) genes, which are associated with virulence in Escherichia coli and Shigella spp., and differentiates the subtypes of stx-1 and stx-2 based on SNP loci.
Whereas isolates of the "Top-6" serotypes (O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, O145) had a high incidence of stx1a-I (90%) and stx2a (100%). stx1a-III (60%) was only observed in non Top-7 (Top-6 plus O157) STEC and Shigella spp.
The results reveal the high incidence of antibiotic resistance among Shigella isolates and the presence of the stx1 gene in S. sonnei and the cdtB gene in S. flexneri.The genetic diversity of Shigella spp. isolated recently in Hungary was also demonstrated.
The targets selected for each group were eae and bfpA for EPEC isolates, the target of probe CVD432 for EAEC isolates, the genes encoding heat-labile and heat-stable toxins for ETEC isolates, stx(1) and stx(2) for STEC isolates, and ipaH for EIEC isolates and Shigella spp.
However, all environmental Shigella isolates were positive for the chromosomal multicopy invasion-associated gene ipaH and all Shigella dysenteriae type 1 isolates were positive for the stx1 gene in addition to ipaH.