A case-control study of diarrhoea in children caused by Escherichia coli producing heat-stable enterotoxin (EAST-1).
Escherichia coli strains associated with diarrhoeal disease have been classified into several types according to the pathogenic mechanism. Among these, enteroaggregative E. coli strains (EAggEC) have been associated with persistent childhood diarrhoea. Some strains of EAggEC produce a heat-stable toxin (EAST-1) that differs from others described previously. The main goal of this case-control study was to determine the prevalence of EAggEC and EAST-1-producing E. coli strains as a cause of diarrhoea in children in Spain and to study their in-vitro susceptibility to 21 antimicrobial agents. In the case group (115 children) 22 (19%) isolates and four (3.5%) isolates were EAST-1-producing E. coli and EAggEC, respectively, whereas in the control group (79 children) four (5%) isolates produced EAST-1 (p = 0.005) and three (3.8%) isolates were EAggEC. The present study suggests that EAST-1-producing E. coli strains are associated with diarrhoeal diseases in Spanish children, whereas EAggEC strains are not. Moreover, EAST-1-producing E. coli strains showed a high susceptibility to all the antimicrobial agents tested except for ampicillin.
Vila
J
J
Department of Microbiology, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, School of Medicine, Spain.
Gene
A
A
Vargas
M
M
Gascon
J
J
Latorre
C
C
Jimenez de Anta
M T
MT
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002460:Cell Line; D002648:Child; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000382:microbiology*; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004768:Enterotoxins; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; C034151:heat stable toxin (E coli)