Prevalence of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli in children with diarrhea in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

• Published in: Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz Vol. 100; no. 4; pp. 359 - 363
• Main Authors: Franzolin, Marcia Regina, Alves, Rosely Cabette Barbosa, Keller, Rogéria, Gomes, Tânia Aparecida Tardelli, Beutin, Lothar, Barreto, Mauricio Lima, Milroy, Craig, Strina, Agostino, Ribeiro, Hugo, Trabulsi, Luiz Rachid
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Portuguese
• Published: Brazil Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz 01.07.2005; Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Ministério da Saúde; Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ)
• Subjects: Bacterial Typing Techniques - methods; Brazil - epidemiology; Child, Preschool; diarrhea; Diarrhea - epidemiology; Diarrhea - microbiology; Endemic Diseases; Escherichia coli; Escherichia coli - classification; Escherichia coli - genetics; Escherichia coli Infections - epidemiology; Escherichia coli Infections - microbiology; Feces - microbiology; Genotype; Humans; PARASITOLOGY; Phenotype; Prevalence; Shiga toxin producing E. coli (STEC); TROPICAL MEDICINE; typical and atypical enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC); virulence factors; Brazil; Brazil, Bahia; typical and atypical enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC); diarrhea; Shiga toxin producing E. coli (STEC); virulence factors
• ISSN: 1678-8060; 0074-0276; 1678-8060; 0074-0276
• DOI: 10.1590/S0074-02762005000400004

We report the frequency of the different diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (DEC) categories isolated from children with acute endemic diarrhea in Salvador, Bahia. The E. coli isolates were investigated by colony blot hibridization whit the following genes probes: eae, EAF, bfpA, St×1, St×2, ST-Ih, ST-Ip, LT-I, LT-II, INV, and EAEC, as virulence markers to distinguish typical and atypical EPEC, EHEC/STEC, ETEC, EIEC, and EAEC. Seven of the eight categories of DEC were detected. The most frequently isolated was atypical EPEC (10.1%) followed by ETEC (7.5%), and EAEC (4.2%). EHEC, STEC, EIEC, and typical EPEC were each detected once. The strains of ETEC, EAEC, and atypical EPEC belonged to a wide variety of serotypes. The serotypes of the others categories were O26:H11 (EHEC), O21:H21 (STEC), O142:H34 (typical EPEC), and O?H55 (EIEC). We also present the clinical manifestations and other pathogenic species observed in children with DEC. This is the first report of EHEC and STEC in Salvador, and one of the first in Brazil.