ENTEROAGGREGATIVE ESCHERICHIA-COLI MAY BE A NEW PATHOGEN CAUSING ACUTE AND PERSISTENT DIARRHEA

The role of Hep-2 cell adherent Escherichia coli (EAEC) of localized ( EAEC-L), diffuse (EAEC-D) and aggregative (EAggEC) phenotype, was inve stigated in 254 children aged less than or equal to 48 months seeking treatment for non-bloody diarrhea at an outpatient clinic, and in 107 age-matched controls. The stool excretion rates of single isolates fro m patients/controls for the different phenotypes of Hep-2 cell adheren t E. coli were: EAEC-L, 5.9/2.8%, p=0.33; EAEC-D, 7.5/12.1%, p=0.22; a nd EAggEC, 11.8/3.7%, p=0.03. When patients were categorized by pre-ad mission diarrheal duration greater than or equal to 14/<14 days, the e xcretion rates were EAEC-L, 0/7.1%; EAEC-D, 9.5/7.1%, and EAggEC, 21.4 /9.9%, the difference approaching significance only for EAggEC (p=0.06 ). These findings suggest that EAggEC may be an important cause of dia rrhea in children, with a predilection to cause prolonged disease.