Isolation of Escherichia coli O128: HNM Harboring stx2f Gene from Diarrhea Patients

Shiga-like-toxin-producing Esherichia coli O128:HNM were isolated from feces of a one-year-old boy with diarrhea and abdominal pain on July, 2002, and a 11-month-old girl with diarrhea and fever on June, 1997. None of other enteropathogenic bacteria including Salmonella were isolated. E. coli O128:HNM isolates from both patients carry stx2f and eaeA gene, but not stx1, stx2, aggR, bfpA, esth, estp, invE, astA, ureC and hlyA gene. As far as we know, this may be the first report indicating that E. coli O128:HNM carrying stx2f gene were isolated from patients in Japan.