Enteropathogenic and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli as aetiological factors of infantile diarrhoea in rural and urban Ghana.
There are 4 recognized classes of Escherichia coli that cause diarrhoeal disease in humans: enteropathogenic (EPEC), enterotoxigenic (ETEC), enteroinvasive (EIEC), and enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC). Preliminary analysis of enterotoxin production in a rural community in Ghana showed a prevalence of 11.0% LT-ST+, 9.5% LT+ST- and 7.5% EPEC. (LT = heat-labile, and ST = heat-stable, enterotoxin). The results of a similar study in an urban community in Accra, Ghana, showed 10.9% LT-ST+, 5.9% LT+ST-, 1.6% LT+ST+ and 6.5% EPEC. 14 different serotypes of EPEC were isolated in the urban area, whereas 6 serotypes and two untypable strains were isolated in the rural area. The most common serotype isolated in Accra was 0126:K71 and that from the rural area was 0128:K67. Serotypes 0143:KXI and 0155:K59 are reported for the first time in Ghana.
Agbodaze
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Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon.
Abrahams
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CA
Arai
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D002675:Child, Preschool; D003968:Diarrhea, Infantile / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000145:classification*; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D005869:Ghana; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D012424:Rural Population; D014505:Urban Population