Characterization of heat-stable enterotoxin from a hypertoxigenic Escherichia coli strain that is pathogenic for cattle.

An enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) strain isolated from a calf with clinical scours was found to produce over 17- to 60-fold more heat-stable enterotoxin (STa) than four laboratory-adapted bovine ETEC strains. The purified STa of this strain was identical to those produced by other ETEC strains. A severe form of scours was induced in 5- to 15-day-old colostrum-fed calves and in 1- to 2-week-old piglets by oral administration of the purified STa. This study demonstrates that STa is a mediator of diarrhea in newborn calves and piglets and that under identical growth conditions diverse strains of bovine ETEC may produce variable amounts of homologous STa's.