{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,30]],"date-time":"2026-06-30T03:59:44Z","timestamp":1782791984385,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":28,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,12]],"date-time":"2025-05-12T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1747008000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Vet. Sci."],"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title><jats:p>Toxin-producing <jats:italic>Escherichia coli<\/jats:italic> are gastrointestinal agents found in both animals and humans, potentially leading to mild-to-severe pathogenic outcomes. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prevalence of toxin-producing <jats:italic>E. coli<\/jats:italic> in owned and stray dogs and cats in Southern Italy in order to provide insights into the epidemiology of these zoonotic bacterial infections.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>During necropsy, organ swabs (i.e., intestine, liver, lung, spleen, lymph node, and brain) from dogs and cats were collected and analyzed to isolate <jats:italic>E. coli<\/jats:italic> colonies through bacterial culture between 2017 and 2023. The isolated strains were then subjected to biomolecular investigation for pathogenicity factors.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>Out of 911 animals, 451 (49.5%) tested positive for <jats:italic>E. coli<\/jats:italic>, including 252 (56.1%) dogs and 199 (43.1%) cats. The higher prevalence among dogs was statistical significant (<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\u202f&amp;lt;\u202f0.01) and associated with a higher risk of infection (<jats:italic>OR<\/jats:italic>\u202f=\u202f1.69). However, no statistically significant difference in prevalence over the years was found (<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\u202f=\u202f0.150). At least one virulence factor was detected in 22% of animals, with 12% exhibiting pathogenicity factors (CNF, CDT, LT, and ST) and 10% showing virulence genes (vtx1, vtx2, and eae). Cats were significantly more likely to produce verocytotoxin compared to dogs (<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\u202f=\u202f0.020, <jats:italic>OR<\/jats:italic>\u202f=\u202f2.04).<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Discussion<\/jats:title><jats:p>These findings suggest a wide circulation of toxin-producing <jats:italic>E. coli<\/jats:italic> in dogs and cats in Southern Italy, highlighting the importance of routine screening for these agents to ensure animal welfare and public health.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fvets.2025.1557445","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,12]],"date-time":"2025-05-12T13:30:14Z","timestamp":1747056614000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Toxin-producing Escherichia coli: a long-term retrospective study in dogs and cats between 2017 and 2023 in Italy"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"Giovanna","family":"De Luca","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Giorgia","family":"Costantini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Luca","family":"Borrelli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Pasquale","family":"Izzo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nunzia","family":"Riccone","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Francesca","family":"Del 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