Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli as a cause of traveler's diarrhea: Clinical response to ciprofloxacin

The purpose of this study was to determine the role of enteroaggregative Es cherichia coli (EAEC) in the development of traveler's diarrhea and the cli nical response of patients with EAEC diarrhea following treatment with cipr ofloxacin, Sixty-four travelers with diarrhea and no other recognized enter opathogen were enrolled in treatment studies in Jamaica and Mexico from Jul y 1997 to July 1998. EAEC was isolated from 29 travelers (45.3%). There was a significant reduction in the duration of posttreatment diarrhea in the 1 6 patients treated with ciprofloxacin, as compared with that in the 13 pati ents who received placebo (mean of 35.3 versus 55.5 hours; P = .049), There was a nonsignificant reduction in the mean number of unformed stools passe d during the 72 hours after enrollment in the ciprofloxacin-treated group ( 5.6), as compared with that in the placebo group (7.5) (P = .128). This stu dy provides additional evidence that EAEC should be considered as a cause o f antibiotic-responsive traveler's diarrhea.