scholarly journals Outbreaks of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli infection in American adults: a clinical and epidemiologic profile

1999 ◽  
Vol 123 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. B. DALTON ◽  
E. D. MINTZ ◽  
J. G. WELLS ◽  
C. A. BOPP ◽  
R. V. TAUXE

Because enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is not identified by routine stool culture methods, ETEC outbreaks may go unrecognized, and opportunities for treatment and prevention may be missed. To improve recognition of adult ETEC outbreaks, we compared them with reported outbreaks of viral gastroenteritis. During 1975–95, we identified 14 ETEC outbreaks in the United States and 7 on cruise ships, caused by 17 different serotypes and affecting 5683 persons. Median symptom prevalences were: diarrhoea 99%, abdominal cramps 82%, nausea 49%, fever 22%, vomiting 14%. The median incubation period was 42 h, and for 8 of 10 outbreaks, the mean or median duration of illness was >72 h (range 24–264). For 17 (81%) ETEC outbreaks, but for only 2 (8%) viral outbreaks, the prevalence of diarrhoea was [ges ]2·5 times the prevalence of vomiting. ETEC outbreaks may be differentiated from viral gastroenteritis outbreaks by a diarrhoea-to-vomiting prevalence ratio of [ges ]2·5 and a longer duration of illness.

2020 ◽  
Vol 148 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Buuck ◽  
K. Smith ◽  
R. C. Fowler ◽  
E. Cebelinski ◽  
V. Lappi ◽  
...  

Abstract Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is a well-established cause of traveller's diarrhoea and occasional domestic foodborne illness outbreaks in the USA. Although ETEC are not detected by conventional stool culture methods used in clinical laboratories, syndromic culture-independent diagnostic tests (CIDTs) capable of detecting ETEC have become increasingly prevalent in the last decade. This study describes the epidemiology of ETEC infections reported to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) during 2016–2017. ETEC-positive stool specimens were submitted to MDH to confirm the presence of ETEC DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Cases were interviewed to ascertain illness and exposures. Contemporaneous Salmonella cases were used as a comparison group in a case-case comparison analysis of risk factors. Of 222 ETEC-positive specimens received by MDH, 108 (49%) were concordant by PCR. ETEC was the sixth most frequently reported bacterial enteric pathogen among a subset of CIDT-positive specimens. Sixty-nine (64%) laboratory-confirmed cases had an additional pathogen codetected with ETEC, including enteroaggregative E. coli (n = 40) and enteropathogenic E. coli (n = 39). Although travel is a risk factor for ETEC infection, only 43% of cases travelled internationally, providing evidence for ETEC as an underestimated source of domestically acquired enteric illness in the USA.


2006 ◽  
Vol 42 (11) ◽  
pp. 1513-1517 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. S. Yoder ◽  
S. Cesario ◽  
V. Plotkin ◽  
X. Ma ◽  
K. K. Shannon ◽  
...  

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlota Medus ◽  
John M. Besser ◽  
Billie A. Juni ◽  
Bonnie Koziol ◽  
Victoria Lappi ◽  
...  

Abstract Background.  Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) and non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) are not detected by conventional culture methods. The prevalence of ETEC infections in the United States is unknown, and recognized cases are primarily associated with foreign travel. Gaps remain in our understanding of STEC epidemiology. Methods.  Two sentinel surveillance sites were enrolled: an urban health maintenance organization laboratory (Laboratory A) and a rural hospital laboratory (Laboratory B). Residual sorbitol MacConkey (SMAC) plates from stool cultures performed at Laboratory A (1996–2006) and Laboratory B (2000–2008) were collected. Colony sweeps from SMAC plates were tested for genes encoding STEC toxins stx1 and stx2 (1996–2008) and ETEC heat-labile and heat-stable toxins eltB, estA 1, 2 and 3 (2000–2008) by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assays. Results.  In Laboratory A, a bacterial pathogen was identified in 7.0% of 21 970 specimens. During 1996–2006, Campylobacter was the most common bacterial pathogen (2.7% of cultures), followed by Salmonella (1.2%), Shigella (1.0%), and STEC (0.9%). Among STEC (n = 196), O157 was the most common serogroup (31%). During 2000–2006, ETEC (1.9%) was the second most common bacterial pathogen after Campylobacter (2.6%). In Laboratory B, of 19 293 specimens tested, a bacterial pathogen was identified for 5.5%, including Campylobacter (2.1%), STEC (1.3%), Salmonella (1.0%), and ETEC (0.8%). Among STEC (n = 253), O157 was the leading serogroup (35%). Among ETEC cases, 61% traveled internationally. Conclusions.  Enterotoxigenic E. coli and STEC infections were as common as most other enteric bacterial pathogens, and ETEC may be detected more frequently by culture-independent multiplex PCR diagnostic methods. A high proportion of ETEC cases were domestically acquired.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 106
Author(s):  
Hiroki Matsumoto ◽  
Masashi Miyagawa ◽  
Sayaka Takahashi ◽  
Ryouichi Shima ◽  
Takayuki Oosumi

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is a major cause of post-weaning diarrhea (PWD) in pigs and causes significant damage to the swine industry worldwide. In recent years, there has been increased regulation against the use of antibacterial agents in swine due to their health risks. Utilizing experimental models that consistently recapitulate PWD is important for the development of non-antibacterial agents against PWD in pigs. In this study, we established a highly reproducible PWD infection model by examining differences in adhesion of ETEC to the intestinal tissue as well as the association between MUC4 polymorphisms and sensitivity to PWD. Post-weaning diarrhea differences between pig breeds were also examined. The adhesion to enterocytes varied from 104.0 to 106.4 CFU/mL even among the F4 ETEC strains. Experimental infection revealed that PWD can be induced in all MUC4 genotypes after infection with 1010 CFU/pig of highly adherent ETEC, although there were variable sensitivities between the genotypes. Lowly adherent ETEC did not cause PWD as efficiently as did highly adherent ETEC. The incidence of PWD was confirmed for all pigs with the ETEC-susceptible MUC4 genotypes in all of the breeds. These results indicate that high-precision and reproducible experimental infection is possible regardless of pig breeds by controlling factors on the pig-end (MUC4 genotype) and the bacterial-end (adhesion ability).


2014 ◽  
Vol 171 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 160-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yulong Tang ◽  
Fengna Li ◽  
Bie Tan ◽  
Gang Liu ◽  
Xiangfeng Kong ◽  
...  

1997 ◽  
Vol 60 (11) ◽  
pp. 1466-1471 ◽  
Author(s):  
PHILLIP I. TARR ◽  
THOMAS E. BESSER ◽  
DALE D. HANCOCK ◽  
WILLIAM E. KEENE ◽  
MARCIA GOLDOFT

Escherichia coli O157:H7 remains a public health problem in the United States despite a dramatic increase in the awareness of, and concern about, foodborne infections since the 1993 multistate E. coli O157:H7 epidemic. Although surveillance data can be difficult to interpret, the incidence of endemic disease caused by this organism is probably not increasing, and might be decreasing, at least in selected populations. With increased recognition of E. coli O157:H7 infection has come the investigation of increasing number of outbreaks, leading to the recognition of many “new” vehicles, including some foods not traditionally associated with enteric infections, such as dry-cured salami and lettuce. Molecular fingerprinting techniques are being used to track the transmission of E. coli O157:H7 through human populations. Analysis of DNA encoding virulence factors and surface antigens suggests that diarrheagenic E. coli have evolved by acquiring large DNA fragments, with subsequent chromosomal recombination. Some Shiga toxin–producing E. coli other than E. coli O157:H7 are no doubt pathogens, but the majority of these toxigenic strains found in food are probably not virulent. More research is needed to define the characteristics that render selected Shiga toxin–producing organisms harmful to humans.


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