MAJOR ENTEROPATHOGENIC BACTERIA ISOLATED FROM DIARRHEAL PATIENTS IN BOLIVIA - A HOSPITAL-BASED STUDY

A total of 1,234 fecal samples from diarrhea cases were examined for e tiological bacterial agents at medical facilities in La Pat and Sucre, Bolivia. Eighty strains of Shigella spp., 39 strains of Salmonella sp p., 29 strains of Vibrio cholerae, and 222 strains of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (139 EPEC, 55 ETEC, 29 EIEC, and 1 EHEC) were isolat ed. With regard to the serovars of Shigella, S. flexneri 2a, 3a, and I b were predominant. In the case of Salmonella, S. enteritidis was the most common, followed by S. typhi, S. poona, and S. paratyphi B. Out o f 29 cholera strains, 25 belonged to biovar El Tor, serovar Ogawa whil e the remaining 4 were serovar Inaba. Among 55 strains of ETEC serotyp es, 5 showed ST producers but none showed LT producers. Likewise, amon g 55 strains of enterohemorrhagic serotypes, only one strain (O157:H7) produced verocytotoxin (VT 2). The results of drug sensitivity tests revealed the predominance of Shigella, EPEC, and ETEC strains resistan t to aminobenzil-penicillin (ABPC) and trimethoprim. Since diarrheal p atients in Bolivia are treated mainly with ABPC or sulfamethoxazole/tr imethoprim (SXT) and rarely with gentamicin, kanamycin, or other drugs , it is possible that ABPC- and SXT-resistant strains will increase an d persist in the near future.