Roholla Taghadosi - Department of Microbiology and Virology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman,Iran
Seyed Mohammad Ghorbani Dazmiri - Faculty of Biological Sciences, Sari Branch, Islamic Azad University, Sari, Iran
Armity Kiumarsy - Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology, Tehran MedicalScience, Islamic Azad University, Tehran ,Iran
Hossein Ghaderi - Hamedan Veterinary Council, Hamedan, Iran
Khadijeh Rostami - Department of Microbiology, Islamic Azad University of Lahijan, Lahijan, Iran
Zahra Bashardoost - Young Researchers and Elite Club, Darab Branch, Islamic Azad University, Darab, Fars, Iran

Aim: The present study was conducted to detect the occurrence, serogroups, virulencegenes and phylogenetic relationship of shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) inhuman, clave and goat in Kerman (southeast of Iran).Background: STEC have emerged as the important foodborne zoonotic pathogenscausing human gastrointestinal disease and confirming the risk to public health.Methods: A total of ۶۷۱ fecal samples were collected from diarrheic patients (n=۳۹۵) andhealthy calves (n=۱۵۶) and goats (n=۱۲۰) and screened for the presence of stx gene.Furthermore, the prevalence of stx۱ and stx۲ variants, serotypes (O۱۵۷, O۱۴۵, O۱۰۳, O۲۶,O۱۱۱, O۹۱, O۱۲۸, and O۴۵), phylogenetic groups and the presence of ehxA, eae, hylA, ihaand saa virulence genes were studied.Results: Prevalence of STEC in human diarrheic isolates was ۱.۳% (۵ isolates), in claveswas ۲۶.۳% (۴۱ isolates) and in goats was ۲۷.۵% (۳۳ isolates). stx۱ gene was the mostprevalent variant and detected in ۷۵ isolates. Furthermore, stx۱c was the most predominantstx subtype, found in ۵۶ isolates. The ehxA identified in ۳۶ (۴۵.۶%) isolates, followed by iha ۵(۶.۳%), eaeA ۴ (۵.۱%), hlyA ۲ (۲.۵%) and saa ۲ (۲.۵%). Most of the isolates belonged tophylogroup B۱. Only two O۲۶ and one O۹۱ isolates were detected in our study.

Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, serogroup, virulence factors.