title: Prevalence of diarrheogenic Escherichia coli and rotavirus among children from Botucatu, São Paulo State, Brazil.
abstract: In a one-year prospective study carried out to define the role of rotavirus and Escherichia coli in local childhood diarrhea, we determined the prevalence of both agents in 54 diarrheic children attending a health center in Botucatu. Diarrheogenic E. coli (DEC) strains were characterized by O:H serotyping, a search for virulence genetic markers, and assays of adherence to HEp-2 cells. Except for enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC), no other DEC category was detected in the children's stools. Both EAEC and rotavirus were isolated from 22 of the 54 (41.0%) diarrheic children as single agents or in combination with other enteropathogens. However, when considering the presence of a single agent, EAEC was dominant and isolated from 20.4% of the patients, whereas rotavirus was detected in 14.8%. These results indicate that rotavirus and EAEC play a significant role as agents of childhood diarrhea in the local population.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiologia e Imunologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.forename: V C
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Acosta
authors.forename: J M G
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Candeias
authors.forename: L O
authors.initials: LO
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.forename: F J C
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Filho
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000821:virology; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology*; D012621:Seasons