TY - JOUR AU - Moura, Cláudia AU - Fregolente, Maria Clara Duarte AU - Martini, Isabel Julien AU - Domingos, Daniela Ferreira AU - Silva, Erivaldo José da AU - Ferraz, Mirtis Maria Giaciani AU - Gatti, Maria Silvia Viccari AU - Leite, Domingos da Silva PY - 2012/01/16 Y2 - 2024/03/28 TI - Prevalence of enteropathogens in normal feces from healthy children at an infant day care in Brazil JF - The Journal of Infection in Developing Countries JA - J Infect Dev Ctries VL - 6 IS - 02 SE - Original Articles DO - 10.3855/jidc.1982 UR - https://jidc.org/index.php/journal/article/view/22337847 SP - 176-180 AB - <p>Introduction: The diarrhea associated with gastroenteritis is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, affecting mainly infants. The characterization of both viral and bacterial agents associated with gastroenteritis can establish policies for surveillance, prevention and treatment of infections. Group A rotaviruses are the major infectious agent associated with dehydration in children, followed by pathotypes of <em>Escherichia coli</em>. There are three main types of clinical infections caused by<em> E. coli</em> strains that have acquired virulence genes: (i) enteric and diarrheal diseases, (ii) urinary tract infections, and (iii) sepsis and meningitis.</p> <p>Methodology:<em> </em>In this study, the objective was to identify the presence of rotavirus and diarrhogenic <em>E. coli</em> in the feces of children 4 to 14 months of age who displayed no gastroenteritis symptoms and stayed all day in a day-care center. We analyzed 188 samples using PAGE and PCR to identify rotaviruses and <em>E. coli</em> virulence genes, respectively.</p> <p>Results: Thirty-six samples (19.1%) were positive for at least one pathotype of <em>E. coli</em>. Nineteen were identified to be of the EPEC group and fifteen of the EAEC group. Rotaviruses were not identified.</p> <p>Conclusions: As EPEC and EAEC are potential pathogens for children less than one year of age or immunocompromised individuals, our results show the importance of appropriate monitoring by public health agencies.  In the situation that we have studied, children can be considered asymptomatic carriers of these pathogens and can transmit them to other susceptible children.  </p> ER -