Evaluation of Citrobacter freundii as a Heat Labile (LT) Enterotoxin Producer

Abstract

This study included the investigation of the ability of C. freundii to produce Heat labile enterotoxin by both genotype and phenotype. Only 11 isolates were isolated from 422 clinical sample (282 stool and 140 urine samples), 8 isolates from stool samples and 3 from urine samples. All isolates identified by biochemical tests and confirmed with API 20 E. Molecular detection for gene responsible for heat- labile (lt, ltI-h and ltA) enterotoxin genes was achieved by PCR technique. The result showed that ltA was the heat-labile enterotoxin gene in 5 isolates (45.45%). Rabbit ligated ileal loop assay RIL, was applied to the 11 Isolates, only 4 of the bacterial isolates gave a positive results.