Escherichia coli isolated from calves with diarrhea: mannose-resistant haemagglutination and colonisation factor.

A study was carried out for detection of the adhesive antigen K99 on 84 Escherichia coli strains isolated from calves with diarrhea. The methods utilized were the Brush-Border and the slide agglutination tests; the strains were also tested in their ability to evoke mannose-resistant haemagglutination. The positive results obtained with the slide agglutination test were higher with comparison to the positive results obtained with other tests. The bacteria had the other piliated structures, besides the K99 antigen, that require further studies.