Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli infections among the children of Andaman Islands with special reference to pathotype distribution and clinical profile. Issue 4 (December 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ramya Raghavan, .P; Roy, Subarna; Thamizhmani, Ramanathan; Sugunan, Attayur Purushothaman
• Is Part Of: Journal of epidemiology and global health. Volume 7:Issue 4(2017:Dec.)
• Page Start: 305
• Page End: 308
• Publication Date: 2017-12
• Subjects: Diarrhoeagenic E.coli -- Andaman Islands; Epidemiology -- Periodicals; World health -- Periodicals; Public Health -- Periodicals; Communicable Disease Control -- Periodicals; World Health -- Periodicals; Electronic journals; 614.405
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jegh.2017.07.003
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2210-6014

Abstract

Highlights: Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (DEC) infections were found in 6.82% of patients in Andaman Islands. DEC was found to be the predominant enteric pathogen. Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli was found as the most common pathotype. About 6% of the DEC infected cases were suffering with invasive diarrhea. Abstract: Diarrhoeagenic E. coli (DEC) is one of the most common causes of diarrhoeal death in children less than five years globally. It is responsible for 30%–40% of all diarrhoeal episodes in developing countries. It is estimated that 0.12 million children died of diarrhoea caused by DEC in 2011 globally. There is no baseline data on the occurrence of DEC diarrhoea in Andaman Islands, the remote islands of India. The study is particularly important as these strains are the emerging enteric pathogen in both developed and developing countries. DEC was screened from E. coli isolates obtained from diarrhoeal stool samples by multiplex PCR with specific primers using stasndard protocols. During the study period, among the 1394 stool samples collected, 95 (6.82%) patients were found infected with DEC. Of the 97 isolates from 95 patients, 68 (70.1%) were EAEC, 19 (19.6%) were EPEC and 10 (10.3%) were ETEC. Of the 19 EPEC isolates, 63.2% were atypical EPEC which is the emerging enteric pathogen among the children in developing as well as developed countries. More than 80% of the patients had watery diarrhoea and 6% of them had invasive diarrhoea. Persistent diarrhoea was also found in three infected children. This study documents the occurrence and type of DEC diarrhoea in Andaman Islands first time and highlights the significant proportions of E. coli diarrhoea being caused by EAEC and atypical EPEC strains.