title: Isolation of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli from British troops in Saudi Arabia.
abstract: Specimens from 181 patients with diarrhoea were examined by a Military General Hospital in a 3-month period during deployment of troops to Saudi Arabia in 1990/1. DNA probes for heat labile (LT) and heat stable (ST) enterotoxin genes identified enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) in 47 of the specimens (26%) and 49 ETEC strains were isolated. The majority (55%) belonged to a novel ETEC serotype having the O-antigen 159 and a flagellar antigen designated as a provisional new type. They produced ST and the coli surface associated antigen (CS)6. Strains of serotype O6:H16 represented 22% of the ETEC examined. They produced ST, LT and CS3 together with either CS1 or CS2. The remaining ETEC belonged to seven O:H serotypes. Overall, ST was the only enterotoxin gene identified in 73% of the ETEC and 67% of the strains expressed CS6 in the absence of other colonization antigens. Resistance to three or more antibiotics was observed in 53% of the ETEC, including most of the O159 strains.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Enteric Pathogens, Central Public Health Laboratory, London, UK.
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Willshaw
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cheasty
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rowe
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: D N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Faithfull-Davies
authors.forename: T G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Brooks
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015342:DNA Probes; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008889:Military Personnel; D012007:Rectum / Q000382:microbiology; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D012703:Serotyping; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000208:ethnology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D015342:DNA Probes; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004768:Enterotoxins; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; C034151:heat stable toxin (E coli); C027538:heat-labile enterotoxin, E coli