TY - JOUR AU - Ali, Mostafa Mohamed M AU - Ahmed, Salwa Fouad AU - Klena, John D AU - Mohamed, Zienat Kamel AU - Moussa, Tarek AA AU - Ghenghesh, Khalifa Sifaw PY - 2014/05/14 Y2 - 2024/03/29 TI - Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli in diarrheic children in Egypt: molecular characterization and antimicrobial susceptibility JF - The Journal of Infection in Developing Countries JA - J Infect Dev Ctries VL - 8 IS - 05 SE - Original Articles DO - 10.3855/jidc.4077 UR - https://jidc.org/index.php/journal/article/view/24820462 SP - 589-596 AB - <p class="SmallText">Introduction: Little information is available regarding the significance of enteroaggregative <em>Escherichia coli</em> (EAEC) in pediatric diarrhea in Egypt.</p> <p class="SmallText">Methodology:<em> Escherichia coli</em> was isolated from stool samples of 62 diarrheic and 43 non-diarrheic (control) Egyptian children. Samples were screened for genes specific for enteroaggregative<em> E. coli </em>(EAEC), enteropathogenic <em>E. coli</em> (EPEC), enterotoxigenic<em> E. coli</em> (ETEC), Shiga toxin-producing <em>E. coli</em> (STEC), and enteroinvasive<em> E. coli </em>(EIEC) using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Diarrheagenic<em> E. coli</em> were grouped phylogenetically using PCR and tested for their susceptibility to antibiotics using the disk diffusion method. Isolates designated as EAEC were examined for eight virulence factors (VFs) using PCR.</p> <p class="SmallText">Results: EAEC was detected in 19 (30.7%) and 4 (9.3%), EPEC in 2 (3.2%) and 1 (2.3%), and ETEC in 2 (3.2%) and 0 (0.0%) diarrheic and control children, respectively; STEC and EIEC were not detected. Only EAEC was significantly isolated from diarrheic children compared with controls (p &lt; 0.01, OR = 4.31).Three or more VFs (multivirulent isolates) were found in 52.6% and 50% of EAEC isolated from diarrheic children and controls, respectively. More than 73% (17/23) of EAEC isolates were identified as belonging to phylogenetic group D. Multiple-antibiotic resistance (resistance to three or more drugs) was observed in more than 91% of EAEC.</p> <p class="SmallText">Conclusions: Multivirulent EAEC is a significant causative agent of pediatric diarrhea in Egypt, with the majority of isolated EAEC belong to phylogenetic group D. Multiple-antibiotic resistance among EAEC has the potential to be a serious public health problem for the country.</p> ER -