title: Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli associated with childhood diarrhoea in Colombia, South America.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Intestinal Escherichia coli pathogens are major causes of diarrhoeal disease in children under five years of age worldwide. The aim of this study is to evaluate the association of E. coli pathotypes with childhood diarrhoea in Colombia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A case-control study was conducted in 815 samples from children younger than five years of age in Cartagena, Colombia (466 cases and 349 controls). Controls were randomly selected 1:1 to cases, to obtain 349 cases and 349 controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This study revealed that 27 (7.44%) cases and 12 (3.43%) controls were positives for any of the E. coli pathotypes. The difference observed was statistically significant indicating that E. coli pathotypes were associated with cases of childhood diarrhoea. Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) was the most common pathotype associated with childhood diarrhoea. Additional E. coli pathotypes were also identified.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that after the adjustment by age, sex and socioeconomic stratum, the odds ratio obtained by logistic regression shows an association between infection with ETEC and childhood diarrhoea.
authors.affiliation: Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, United States. oscar.gomez@vanderbilt.edu
authors.forename: Oscar Gilberto
authors.initials: OG
authors.lastname: Gomez-Duarte
authors.forename: Yesenia Carolina
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Romero-Herazo
authors.forename: Carol Zussandy
authors.initials: CZ
authors.lastname: Paez-Canro
authors.forename: Javier Hernando
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Eslava-Schmalbach
authors.forename: Octavio
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Arzuza
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003105:Colombia / Q000453:epidemiology; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D054307:Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence