Biochemical Identification of Enteroaggregative Escherichia Coli among Infants with Acute Diarrhea from Manipal, India

Background : The EAEC strains have been associated classically with persistent diarrhea which represents a disproportionate share of diarrheal mortality. EAEC strains have been shown to elicit damage to intestinal mucosa and growth retardation in infants. Detection of EAEC strains can make a significant contribution to public health in many areas. The use of biofilm assays as a screening method for EAEC from clinical isolates and multiplex PCR as confirmatory method may be useful. Methods : We evaluated the usefulness of quantitative micro titer plate method for biofilm production and multiplex PCR to screen and confirm EAEC from a total of 100 E.coli strains from children below two years of age with acute diarrhea. Results : E.coli strains were isolated from fecal specimens from 680 Diarrheic children who attended an out patient clinic or who were admitted to Kasturba Hospital and other peripheral hospitals in and around Manipal, Karnataka-South India. E coli isolates from 50 fecal specimens from infants without diarrhea (controls) who attended the same outpatient clinic and who belonged to the same group as the infants with diarrhea were also examined. Conclusion : Better diagnostic tools are needed to allow for more standardized laboratory testing on a regular basis. Improved diagnostic tools will help identify epidemiologic patterns of illness and guide treatment recommendations of EAEC illness.