Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli an emergent pathogen with different virulence properties

Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) is an emergent bacterial pathogen. The first studies in developing countries with EAEC strains, showed that this bacterium was associated with persistent diarrhea. However, new studies showed that EAEC may be associated also with acute diarrhea, with both nosocomial and community outbreaks worldwide, and as an important pathogen of diarrheal disease in human immunodeficiency virus-infected adults. EAEC strains are recognized by their characteristic aggregative adherence or "stacked-brick" pattern to epithelial cells. Although the pathogenesis of EAEC infection is not well understood, cellular changes observed in animal models and in vitro assays, suggested that the alterations in the intestinal mucosa during EAEC infection are associated with adherence factors and toxins production. The damage has been associated with the release of inflammatory mediators, which may contribute also to the intestinal illness. The dissemination of the high pathogenicity island from Yersinia pestis evolutionary group to EAEC has been show; different studies suggest that it may contribute to the virulence of EAEC strains. Molecular methods to investigate the presence of plasmid and chromosomal EAEC-associated virulence markers, have been used for the characterization and epidemiological studies of EAEC strains. Although the clinical and epidemiological importance of EAEC have been demonstrated in different studies, Escherichia coli strains with adherent agreggative phenotype are commonly isolated from healthy children and environmental sources. This support the necessity to study virulence factors no related with the cells adherence pattern, that show the specific EAEC pathogenic clones associated whit intestinal disease.