title: Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli o157 in Bangui and N'Goila, Central African Republic: A brief report.
abstract: Escherichia coli O157:H7 producing Shiga like toxins is a food-borne pathogen frequently isolated in Bangui from patients with hemorrhagic colitis (HC). This survey provides comprehensive data on the high prevalence of E. coli O157:H7 infection in Bangui: carriage of E. coli O157:H7 by zebu (Bos indicus) and fish, contamination of the fields at N'Goila where the butchers kill the zebus, and contamination of the field surface water along the M'Poko River upstream of the Oubangui River where fish are caught, appear to be important contributory factors. We also describe novel strains of serogroup O157:NM isolated from zebu and from fish; a variety of assays indicate that these strains belong to the enteropathogenic pathotype, though they lack certain genetic elements thought to be diagnostic for this pathotype.
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur de Bangui, Bangui, Central African Republic.
authors.forename: Dinh Thi N
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Tuyet
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yassibanda
authors.forename: Phuong L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Nguyen Thi
authors.forename: Marcel R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Koyenede
authors.forename: Malika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gouali
authors.forename: Claudine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Békondi
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mazzi
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Germani
mesh_terms: D002488:Central African Republic / Q000453:epidemiology; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D019453:Escherichia coli O157 / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D015995:Prevalence