Detection of Escherichia coli O104 in the Feces of Feedlot Cattle by a Multiplex PCR Assay Designed To Target Major Genetic Traits of the Virulent Hybrid Strain Responsible for the 2011 German Outbreak

A multiplex PCR was designed to detect Escherichia coli O104:H4, a hybrid pathotype of Shiga toxigenic and enteroaggregative E. coli, in cattle feces. A total of 248 fecal samples were tested, and 20.6% were positive for serogroup O104. The O104 isolates did not carry genes characteristic of the virulent hybrid strain.