Enterotoxigenic E. coli pathophysiology and new insights on the impact on gut function and health

摘要

Enteroxigenic E. coli (ETEC) is a major cause of enteric disease in pigs. In swine, two forms of diseases predominate: neonatal scours caused by K88 E. coli and post-weaning diarrhea caused mostly by K88 or F18 E. coli strains. The pathophysiologic mechanisms by which ETEC causes clinical diarrhea have, in large part, been identified; however, recent studies have shed light into importance of interactions between production stressors and host mucosal defense mechanisms that modulate the ETEC diseaseprocess. The focus of this paper is to review the pathophysiology of ETEC-mediated diarrheal disease and to highlight recent findings on the mucosal immune response to ETEC challenge and production factors that affect disease severity.