Genotypic Diversity of Escherichia coli Isolates in Philippine Native Swine from Quezon Province, Philippines as Revealed by Enterobacterial Repetitive Intergenic Consensus (ERIC)-PCR

The Philippine native swine (PNS) is an economically important livestock in Quezon Province and recognized as more disease-resistant than the white crossbreeds or hybrids. This study was conducted to determine the genotypic diversity of the Escherichia coil population in the intestine of PNS and to identify factors that might have influenced E. coli dissemination in PNS. E. coli were isolated from the intestinal tract of 76 PNS and from 38 soil and water samples from 20 farms in seven municipalities in Quezon Province and analyzed by enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC)-PCR. Results revealed extensive genotypic diversity in 114 E. coli isolates from PNS from various farms. However, genotypic diversity was not strictly correlated with municipality or geographical origin of the isolate or PNS, phenotypic traits of swine, and swine farm management practices. These results suggest that the population of E. coil in gut of PNS is dynamic and members of the population might have been derived from various sources. The diversity might have been influenced by multiple factors, including swine and farm management practices.