Diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli in hospitalized children in Dhaka

One hundred and four cases of acute diarrhoea upto the age of eight years and seventy four age and sex matched controls were studied to isolate enteropathogenic (EPEC), enterotoxigenic (ETEC), and enteroinvasive (EIEC) Escherichia coli. About 23% EPEC and 9% ETEC were isolated from diarrhoeal patients in contrast to 8% and 1% from control respectively. Among the twelve different serotypes of EPEC isolated, O2Oa O2Oc: K61 (33.3%) was the most predominant. No EIEC was isolated by sereny test. In 8 diarrhoeal cases, no other enteropathogen except EPEC was isolated. The study has highlighted the important role that enteropathogenic Esch. coli could play in causing endemic diarrhoea in Bangladesh.