High-pathogenicity island of Yersinia spp. in Escherichia coli strains isolated from diarrhea patients in China.
The high-pathogenicity island (HPI) of Yersinia has been observed in 93% of 60 enteroadhesive Escherichia coli strains and 80% of E. coli strains isolated from blood samples. In the present study we investigated 671 fecal samples from patients with diarrhea in Shandong Province, China, and isolated HPI-harboring E. coli from 6. 26% of the samples. The isolation rates for patients with diarrhea in three age groups, 10 to 20, 30 to 40, and 50 to 60 years, were 6. 70, 12.35, and 10.81%, respectively. Therefore, HPI-harboring E. coli is the third most frequently isolated enteric pathogen from patients with diarrhea. Vomiting and abdominal pain were recorded for 33.33 and 66.67% of the patients, respectively. Stools with blood were observed for 9.52% of the patients. Twenty-four of 42 (57%) patients experienced a temperature over 37.4 degrees C. These observations indicate that HPI-harboring E. coli is one of the major causes of diarrheal disease in China and that the clinical symptoms caused by HPI-harboring E. coli differ from those caused by enteroadhesive E. coli.
Xu
J G
JG
Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine, Beijing, China. xujg@public.bta.net.cn
Cheng
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Wen
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Cui
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Ye
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D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002876:Chromosomes, Bacterial; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000382:microbiology*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008875:Middle Aged; D015007:Yersinia / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*