title: Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli and idiopathic diarrhoea in Bangladesh.
abstract: Faecal Escherichia coli from Bangalee patients with idiopathic diarrhoea were tested in the Chinese hamster ovary cell (C.H.O.) assay to detect production of thermolabile enterotoxin (L.T.). C.H.O-positive E. coli produce both L.T. and a thermostable toxin (S.T.). C.H.O.-positive strains were found in 19.2% of all cases and in 70% of the most severely ill patients with non-vibrio cholera. E. coli which produce S.T. alone were identified in a third of the C.H.O.-negative cases. Enterotoxigenic E. coli were found in 55% of inpatients with idiopathic diarrhoea and, if an aetiological role is confirmed, may be one of the commonest causes of tropical diarrhoea.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D001459:Bangladesh; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000382:microbiology*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014329:Tropical Climate
chemical_list: D004768:Enterotoxins