title: Prevalence of enteropathogens in normal feces from healthy children at an infant day care in Brazil.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The diarrhea associated with gastroenteritis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, affecting mainly infants. The characterization of both viral and bacterial agents associated with gastroenteritis can establish policies for surveillance, prevention and treatment of infections. Group A rotaviruses are the major infectious agent associated with dehydration in children, followed by pathotypes of Escherichia coli. There are three main types of clinical infections caused by E. coli strains that have acquired virulence genes: (i) enteric and diarrheal diseases, (ii) urinary tract infections, and (iii) sepsis and meningitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, the objective was to identify the presence of rotavirus and diarrhogenic E. coli in the feces of children 4 to 14 months of age who displayed no gastroenteritis symptoms and stayed all day in a day-care center. We analyzed 188 samples using PAGE and PCR to identify rotaviruses and E. coli virulence genes, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-six samples (19.1%) were positive for at least one pathotype of E. coli. Nineteen were identified to be of the EPEC group and fifteen of the EAEC group. Rotaviruses were not identified.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As EPEC and EAEC are potential pathogens for children less than one year of age or immunocompromised individuals, our results show the importance of appropriate monitoring by public health agencies. In the situation that we have studied, children can be considered asymptomatic carriers of these pathogens and can transmit them to other susceptible children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, Evolution and Bioagents, Institute of Biology, State University of Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil. cmoura.bio@gmail.com
authors.forename: Cláudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: de Moura
authors.forename: Maria Clara Duarte
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Fregolente
authors.forename: Isabel Julien
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Martini
authors.forename: Daniela Ferreira
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Domingos
authors.forename: Erivaldo José
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.forename: Mirtis Maria Giaciani
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Ferraz
authors.forename: Maria Silvia Viccari
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Gatti
authors.forename: Domingos
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: da Silva Leite
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D002656:Child Day Care Centers; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*