A study of enteropathogenic E .coli (EPEC) and the contributing risk factors in diarrheal patients under five

Diarrhea can be defined as “passing of a liquid stool more than three times within 24 hours”, it is a major cause of infantile deaths in underdeveloped world in young children<5 years. According to WHO report a child dies every minute due to diarrhea. In this study 1465 stool samples of acute watery diarrhea were analyzed. Demographic data analysis showed male to female ratio of 55.2%, 44.8%. All lactose fermenting bacterial colonies were processed for the identification of bacterial pathogenic E. coli and verified biochemically, were also serotyped by commercially available strain specific antiserum. All genotypes of importance were confirmed by advanced molecular techniques like PCR and RT-PCR. E. coli (uidA), EPEC virulent genes eae and bfpA and ETEC virulent gene It and st, EIEC virulence gene inv and stx1, EHEC virulent gene stx2, EAEC virulent gene east-1and east were investigated. Among E. coli, isolates, EPEC (48.6%) was found to be most dominant diarrheal pathogen followed by ETEC (24.3 %), EAEC (21.6 %), EIEC (5.4%) and EHEC (0.0%). Use of advanced molecular techniques like PCR is necessary to detect pathogenic E. coli is highlighted from clinical samples.