Identification of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli in children with acute diarrheic syndrome from Sucre State, Venezuela.
BACKGROUND
Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli is an important causative agent of acute diarrheic syndrome.


OBJECTIVE
To identify clonal groups of enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), in 485 children with acute diarrhea aged 0 to 10 years attending health care centers in Arismendi, Benítez and Sucre municipalities, Sucre state, Venezuela, from March to December, 2011.


METHODS
After obtaining the informed consent, stool samples were collected. Escherichia coli was identified using standard coproculture methods and serology with polyvalent and monovalent antisera. DNA was isolated, and eae (intimin) and bfpA (bundlin) genes were amplified through two multiplex polymerase chain reactions (PCR).


RESULTS
The presence of bacterial infection was determined in 39.6% of coprocultures. The prevalence of E. coli was 54.7%; 82.9% of these isolates were positive by serology for the evaluated serogroups and serotypes, which were mostly identified in children between 0 and 2 years (37.9%); 48.6% of E. coli strains amplified the eae gene; of these, 58.8% were classified as typical EPEC (eae+ y bfp+). EPEC II was the most common serogroup (38.7%), with predominance of typical EPEC (60%). In positive strains for eae gene, the β intimin allele was the most frequently identified (74.5%). Only four strains with O157:H7 serotype were identified, which showed no PCR amplification of the eae and bfpA genes.


CONCLUSIONS
This study showed the importance of molecular tests to identify diarrheagenic E. coli strains causing clinical conditions of varying severity.
Laboratorio de Genética Molecular, Instituto de Investigaciones en Biomedicina y Ciencias Aplicadas "Dra. Susan Tai", Universidad de Oriente, Cumaná, Sucre, Venezuela Laboratorio de Microbiología Clínica, Departamento de Bioanálisis, Universidad de Oriente, Cumaná, Sucre, Venezuela. elviamichelli@yahoo.com.
Elvia
E
Michelli
Adriana
A
Millán
Hectorina
H
Rodulfo
Mirian
M
Michelli
Jesús
J
Luiggi
Numirin
N
Carreño
Marcos
M
De Donato
D002648:Child; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology*; D054308:Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D014687:Venezuela
Escherichia coli; diarrhea; enterophatogenic Escherichia coli; gastrointestinal diseases; polymerase chain reaction