Markers of virulence among prospectively acquired putative enteropathogenic Escherichia coli serogroups

We assessed the frequency of proposed enteropathogenic virulence factor genes (eaeA and eaf) by genetic amplification for a series of prospectively collected putative enteropathogenic Escherichia coli serogroup isolates that were acquired from the stool specimens of children. Among 102 isolates, eaeA and eaf markers were determined among 27.5% and 4.9%, respectively. Eaf positivity was found to be coexisting in only a minority of eaeA+ E. coli; the eaeA+/eaf- genotype was most common among strains that had evidence of at least one virulence marker. When clinical variables were compared for two groups of patients whose strains did or did not possess eaeA, the eaeA+ group was more likely to have had an acute diarrheal illness (P = .05) and less likely to have had an underlying chronic illness (P = .03). Localized adherence in vitro was easily recognized for eaeA+/eaf+ E. coli but eaeA+/eaf- isolates were less consistent in manifesting this phenotype. The availability of genetic amplification technologies has the potential to rekindle diagnostic interests in this area, although a rational approach has yet to be defined.