Prospective study of verocytotoxin-producing, enteroaggregative and diffusely adherent Escherichia coli in different diarrhoeal states.
One hundred and eighty-one stool specimens from patients with various types of diarrhoea (135 patients) or from non-diarrhoeal controls (23 acute medical patients, 23 inflammatory bowel disease in remission) were investigated using a colony-blot DNA hybridization assay for the presence of Verocytotoxin-producing (VTEC), enteroaggregative (EAggEC) and diffusely adherent (DAEC) Escherichia coli. Twelve patients had probe-positive EAggEC in the stool and 8 of these had diarrhoea, 6 following recent travel. Eight patients had DAEC, 7 of whom had travellers' diarrhoea. Six of 10 (60%) travellers with gastroenteritis, but without a recognized enteric pathogen, were positive for EAggEC (4) or DAEC (2). Five of 10 (50%) travellers with gastroenteritis related to a recognized enteric pathogen also had DAEC identified in their stool. Of the 23 acute medical control patients 11 had been abroad, 4 of these were immigrants and had EAggEC. VTEC were not found and, with one exception, immunoassays for antibodies to E. coli O 157 and O 2 lipopolysaccharides were negative.
Brook
M G
MG
Department of Infectious Diseases, Royal Free Hospital NHS Trust, London.
Smith
H R
HR
Bannister
B A
BA
McConnell
M
M
Chart
H
H
Scotland
S M
SM
Sawyer
A
A
Smith
M
M
Rowe
B
B
D000328:Adult; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000382:microbiology*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D022622:Shiga Toxin 1; D014195:Travel
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D022622:Shiga Toxin 1