ENTEROTOXIGENIC ESCHERICHIA COLI AND OTHER ENTEROPATHOGENS IN PAEDIATRIC DIARRHOEA IN ADDIS ABABA

Abstract

There were 86 pediatric outpatients of poor socioeconomic background studied during 2 wk. A control group comprised 60 healthy children. Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) was the most common diarrheal agent isolated (26%). Strains of ETEC producing heat-labile (LT) only or LT and heat-stable (ST) enterotoxin were isolated from 11% each and ETEC producing ST only from 4% of the patients. ETEC was also found not infrequently among controls (10%). ETEC with O-antigens 78, 6 and 8 were shown to harbor colonization factors. Enterotoxigenic bacteria were found as contaminants in 5 of 24 feeding bottles investigated. Enteropathenic E. coli (EPEC) and Shigella spp. were isolated from 8% each and rotavirus from 24% of the patients. Twelve patients infected with ETEC only were compared to 66 patients not infected with ETEC. Patients infected with ETEC had a relatively mild disease and it was not possible by clinical findings to distinguish those patients infected with ETEC, LT and/or ST producing, carrying or not carrying colonization factors from those infected with other agents. The need for extended studies of the clinical significance of ETEC infection in developing countries was underlined.