Background: Escherichia coliis able to produce different infections in humans. It pathogenicity in the female genital tract is unknown.
Objective: To determine the presence of virulence genes (VG) in E. colistrains isolated from the female genital tract.
Material and methods: 146 E. colistrains isolated as monomicrobial cultures from vaginal infections were genetically characterized by search of hly, iucC, afa, fimH, neuC, sfa/foc, cnF1, papC, usp,and ibeAVG. Studies were performed by means PFGE and PCR.
Results: Genetic analysis of the strains showed two groups with a similarity of approximately 80%. The similarity genetic intragroup was approximately 95%. The results showed strains with a high number of VG and the most common were cnf1andfimH.The afagene was not detected. Were identified eight VG combinations and the most common was papC+ hly+ iucC+ afa- neuC- fimH+ sfa/foc+ cnf1+ usp+ ibeA-.
Discussion: The studied strains are concentrated in two genetic groups. Most of the strains contain a great number of VG present in E. coliisolated from extraintestinal infections.
Conclusion: It is important to develop new research strategies in this area, to deepen the phylogenetic knowledge of these strains and confirm their true role in vaginal infection.