Introduction: Extra-intestinal E. coli plays an important role in development of woman urogenital tract infections. Encoding virulence factors genes on the pathogenic islands can be the most fundamental factors that contribute to distribution of disease and damage to the epithelium layer of women genito- urinary tract system. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of pathogenic islands in E. coli isolates collected from patients referred to Gynecology clinics in Zabol-Iran.

Methods: In this study، 382cervico-vaginal swabs were obtained from patients with genital tract infections referred to Gynecology clinics in Zabol-Iran during the period of six months (from January to July 2013). A total 104 E. coli isolates were confirmed by conventional biochemical tests. DNA was extracted from all isolates by the boiling method and then DNA was used to determine the presence of pathogenic Islands, PAI I₅₃₆، PAI II₅₃₆, PAI IV₅₃₆، PAI I_CFT073، PAI II_CFT073، PAI I_J96، PAI II_J96 and virulence gens، traT، k1، FyuA، cvaC،by multiplex- PCR technique.

Results: In 104 isolates, the frequency traT، k1، FyuA and cvaC genes were 38، 14 and 6 percent respectively. The prevalence of pathogenic islands PAI IV ₅₃₆، PAI I_CFT073، PAI II_CFT073 and PAI I_J96 were 53 ، 3 ،13 and 1 percent respectively. The three pathogenic islands PAI I₅₃₆، PAI II₅₃₆ and PAI II_J96 were not detected in any of the isolates.

Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the traT gene and PAI IV₅₃₆ marker were the most common pathogenic determinants in E. coli isolates collected from genital tract of patients in the city of Zabol. The pathogenicity-associated island (PAI) as a marker could indicate the risk of wide spread pathogenic E.coli among hospitalized patients.