The Epidemiological And Clinical Characteristics Of Diarrhea Associated With Enteropathogenic, Enteroaggregative And Diffuse-Adherent Escherichia Coli In Egyptian Children

A total of 220 enteroadherent Escherichia coli were identified from 729 Egyptian children with diarrhea using the HEp-2 adherence assay. Enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC = 38) was common among children <6 months old and provoked vomiting, while diffuse-adhering E. coli (DAEC = 109) induced diarrheal episodes of short duration, and enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC = 73) induced mild non-persistent diarrhea. These results suggest that EPEC is associated with infantile diarrhea in Egyptian children.