| Sixty strains of Escherichia coli, isolated by hemoculture, from septicemic Brazilian patients were evaluated to determine their serogroup and invasivity to Vero cells. All 60 patients died within 2 days of hospitalization. Furthermore, the molecular study of the following extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli-associated virulence factor (VF) genes was performed by PCR: i) adhesins: type 1 fimbria (fimH), S fimbria (sfaD/E), P fimbria (papC and papG alleles) and afimbrial adhesin (afaB/C); ii) capsule K1/K5 (kpsMTII); iii) siderophores: aerobactin (iucD), yersiniabactin (fyuA) and salmochelin (iroN); iv) toxins hemolysin (hlyA), necrotizing cytotoxic factor type 1 (cnf1) and secreted autotransporter toxin (sat); v) miscellaneous: brain microvascular... |
