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Memorias del Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud

On-line version ISSN 1812-9528

Abstract

WEILER, Natalie; ORREGO, Maria; ALVAREZ, Mercedes  and  HUBER, Claudia. Molecular detection of diarrheogenic Escherichia coli in pediatric patients with acute diarrheal syndrome in Paraguay. Mem. Inst. Investig. Cienc. Salud [online]. 2017, vol.15, n.1, pp.16-21. ISSN 1812-9528.  https://doi.org/10.18004/mem.iics/1812-9528/2017.015(01)16-021.

Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (DEC) has been classified based on clinical, epidemiological and molecular criteria in five groups, each with specific virulence factors. The objective was to determine the prevalence of DEC in pediatric patients with acute diarrheal disease of the Central Laboratory of Public Health in the 2012-2015 period. A total of 1447 fecal samples of acute diarrheal syndrome from pediatric patients were processed in which a DEC virulence gene was searched using conventional screening and molecular screening methods with multiple PCR primers specifically designed to amplify virulence genes, st, lt, eae, stx, ipaH and aggR. From the total of analyzed samples, 13% (180/1379) of the samples presented some virulence factor compatible with a DEC pathogen type with greater predominance in children from 1 to 3 years. The frequency of the different pathogen types was as follows: 61 (34%) ETEC, 40 (22%) EAEC, 41 (23%) EPEC, 27 (15%) EIEC, 7 (4%) STEC and 3 (2% ETEC/EAEC, 1 (0.5%) ETEC/EAEC/EIEC. The percentage of DEC detected is similar to that reported in other countries of the region, which indicates that these pathogens are an important part of the etiology of acute infectious diarrheal disease in children in our country. It should be noted that for the diagnosis of different DEC categories, it is necessary to have a specific diagnostic procedure aimed at the detection of virulence factors using molecular methods or immunodiagnostic methods.

Keywords : Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli; Acute Diarrheal Disease; PCR.

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