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ENTEROTOXIGENIC ESCHERICHIA COLI AND OTHER ENTEROPATHOGENS IN PAEDIATRIC DIARRHOEA IN ADDIS ABABA
Author(s) -
STINTZING G.,
MÖLLBY R.,
HABTE D.
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
acta pædiatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1982.tb09415.x
Subject(s) - enterotoxigenic escherichia coli , colonization , medicine , microbiology and biotechnology , enterotoxin , rotavirus , diarrhea , diarrhoeal disease , shigella , enteropathogenic escherichia coli , escherichia coli , virology , bacteria , salmonella , biology , biochemistry , genetics , gene
. This study was performed during two weeks among 86 paediatric outpatients of poor socio‐economic background. A control group comprised 60 healthy children. Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) was the most common diarrhoeal agent isolated (26%). Strains of ETEC producing heat‐labile (LT) only or LT and heatstable (ST) enterotoxin were isolated from 11% each and ETEC producing ST only from 4% of the patients. ETEC was also found not infrequently among controls (10%). ETEC with O‐antigens 78, 6 and 8 were shown to harbour colonization factors. Enterotoxigenic bacteria were found as contaminants in 5 of 24 feeding bottles investigated. Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) and Shigella species were isolated from 8% each and rotavirus from 24% of the patients. Twelve patients infected with ETEC only were compared to 66 patients not infected with ETEC. Patients infected with ETEC had a relatively mild desease and it was not possible by clinical findings to distinguish those patients infected with ETEC, LT and/or ST producing, carrying or not carrying colonization factors from those infected with other agents. This study underlines the need for extended studies of the clinical significance of ETEC infection in developing countries.