Ribotyping of EPEC isolates from diarrheal and asymptomatic patients in Iran.
OBJECTIVE
We intended to find out the diversity of EPEC isolates among asymptomatic or diarrheal children in Iran using ribotyping.


BACKGROUND
Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) is responsible for gastroenteritis especially in young children.


METHODS
A total of 39 EPEC collected strains were serotyped and the presence of virulence genes as well as EAF plasmid among the strains was studied. Adherence assay was also performed. Clonal diversity of the isolates was investigated using ribotyping.


RESULTS
Of 39 studied strains of E. coli, 6 serogroups of EPEC were represented. The presence of the stx gene was ascertained in 7 isolates and the eaeA, eaeB and bfpA genes were harbored by 5, 3 and 1 strains, respectively. Ribotyping yielded 9 different clusters.


CONCLUSIONS
According to our results there was not a significant correlation between the results of serotyping and those of ribotyping. However, different serotypes of E. coli may belong to the same ribotype clusters and vice versa.
Department of Bacteriology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
Vajihe Sadat
VS
Nikbin
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
Mohammad Yousef
MY
Alikhani
Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
Hasan
H
Shojaei
Department of Bacteriology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
Seyed Fazlollah
SF
Mousavi
Department of Biology, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran.
Siavosh
S
Salmanzadeh-Ahrabi
Department of Bacteriology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
Mohammad Mehdi
MM
Aslani
Diarrhea; EPEC; Ribotyping; Serotyping