[Identification of high-pathogenicity island-harboring Escherichia coli from children with diarrhea disease]

To investigate the etiological status of high-pathogenicity island-harboring Escherichia coli (HPIEC) in diarrhea diseases among children.

Escherichia coli was Isolated and identified from the stool specimens of 1,032 children with diarrhea diseases by culturing, serotyping, PCR, and colony hybridization.

652 strains of E. coli were isolated from the 1,032 stool specimens and confirmed by colony hybridization out of which 225 were identified as diarrheagenic E. coli, including 20 EPEC, 81 ETEC, 47 SLTEC, 74 ESIEC, and 3 EIEC strans. 112 (17.2%) irp2 virulent gene positive E. coli strains were detected from the 652 strains, out of which 24 were from the 74 ESIEC strans and 17 from the 47 SLTEC stranis. The typical clinical symptoms of diarrhea caused by HPI-haboring E. coli included anorexia (87.5%), abdominal pain (58.0%), diarrhea (75.9%, over 6 episodes, mostly of mucous stool a day, 75.9%), and fever (50.9%).

High-pathogenicity island-harboring E. coli is one of the important pathogens of diarrhea diseases in children.