Cytotoxin activity on Vero cells among Escherichia coli strains associated with diarrhea in cats.

The role of Escherichia coli as a causative agent of diarrhea in cats was investigated. Isolates of E coli from healthy and diarrheic cats were serotyped and investigated for their biochemical characters, production of cytotoxin activity on Vero cells, heat-labile enterotoxin, heat-stable enterotoxin, and hemagglutination of erythrocytes from other animal species. None of 48 investigated strains produced heat-labile enterotoxin or heat-stable enterotoxin, nor did they agglutinate erythrocytes. Most strains were hemolytic and belonged to O-serotypes 2 and 6. Cytotoxin activity on Vero cells was significantly more common and produced in greater amounts among E coli strains isolated from diarrheic cats, and was neutralized by anti-Shiga-like toxin I serum.