| Summary: | Different pathotypes of <i>Escherichia coli</i> can cause severe diseases in animals and humans. Wildlife may contribute to the circulation of pathogenic pathotypes, including enteropathogenic <i>E. coli</i> (EPEC), Shiga toxin-producing <i>E. coli</i> (STEC), and enterohemorrhagic <i>E. coli</i> (EHEC). This study analyzed 109 DNA samples previously extracted from fecal specimens collected from red foxes (<i>Vulpes vulpes</i>) to detect <i>E. coli</i> virulence genes <i>eaeA</i>, <i>hlyA</i>, <i>stx1</i>, and <i>stx2</i>, that characterize the EPEC, STEC, and EHEC strains. Thirty-one (28.4%) samples were positive for at least one investigated virulence gene: <i>eaeA</i> gene was detected in 21 (19.2%) samples, <i>hlyA</i> in 10 (9.1%), <i>stx1</i> in 6 (5.5%), and <i>stx2</i> in 4 (3.6%). Nine DNA samples resulted positive for two or three virulence genes: five (4.6%) samples were positive for <i>eaeA</i> and <i>hlyA</i> genes, two (1.8%) for <i>eaeA</i> and <i>stx1</i>, one (0.9%) for <i>hlyA</i> and <i>stx1</i>, one (0.9%) for <i>eaeA</i>, <i>hlyA</i> and <i>stx2</i>. Red foxes seem to be involved in the epidemiology of these infections and their role could be relevant because they may be source of pathogenic <i>E. coli</i> for other wild animals, as well as domestic animals and humans.
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