The present study reports the first serotyping (O:H typing) data documented in STEC strains of animal origin in Iran in isolates recovered between 2008 to 2016. A total of 75 STEC strains which were previously isolated from fecal samples of cattle, sheep and goats, pigeons, humans, and deer were assessed by different PCR assays detecting the major virulence genes of STEC and phylogroups. Then, the strains were tested for the 16 important O-groups by PCR. Finally, twenty strains were selected for H-genotyping by PCR plus sequencing. The predominant serogroup was O113 which was detected in 9 isolates (5 cattle, 55.5%; 2 goats, 22.2%; 2 red deer, 22.2%) followed by O26 (3/3, 100%) in cattle, O111 (3/3, 100%) in cattle, O5 (3/3, 100%) in sheep, O63 (1/1, 100%) in pigeon, O75 (2/2, 100%) in pigeons, and O128 in goats (2/3, 66.6%) and pigeon (1/3, 33.3%). The most important recognized serotypes were O113:H21 in cattle (2/3) and goat (1/3), O113:H4 in red deer (1/1), O111:H8 in calves (2/2), O26:H11 in calve (1/1), O128:H2 in goats (2/3) and pigeon (1/3), and O5:H19 in sheep (3/3). One cattle strain carrying stx1, stx2, eae, and Ehly genes belonged to O26:H29 serotype. Most strains with determined O-groups were from the bovine source that highlights the importance of cattle as reservoirs of potentially pathogenic serovars. The present study suggests that the top seven non-O157 serogroups should be assessed along with O157 in all future research and clinical diagnostics of STEC in Iran.

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