Brazilian Indigenous Children as Carriers of Diarrheagenic &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Escherichia coli&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt; Pathotypes

Carla V L Coelho,Tânia A T Gomes,Cristiane S Sanfins,Bernadeth L Von Söhsten,André R Santos Périssé,Diana P Marinho,Ana Cláudia P Rosa,Adriana H Regua-Mangia,Mônica A M Vieira

doi:10.4236/aid.2018.84017

Abstract

Introduction: Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (DEC) is a relevant cause of diarrhea, particularly among infants and young children in developing countries. Methodology: We compared the frequency, antimicrobial resistance, adherence, enterovirulence and genetic diversity of DEC isolates from Guarani indigenous population under five living in distinct villages in Brazil. Results: Of the 314 E. coli isolates from 57 children, with and without diarrhea, 15% (48/314) were classified in DEC categories: aEPEC (56%, 27/48), EAEC (35%, 17/48) and ETEC (8%, 4/48). ETEC belonged to plylogroup A, EAEC to groups A, B1, B2 and D, and aEPEC to phylogroups A, B1, and B2. EAEC exhibited the aggregative adherence phenotype while ETEC and aEPEC the aggregative and undefined patterns. Multidrug-resistance was detected in aEPEC, ETEC and EAEC while extensive drug-resistance was found in EAEC and aEPEC. RAPD typing revealed a genetically diverse bacterial population. Conclusion: This is the first report regarding aspects of DEC in an indigenous Brazilian population, showing that Guarani children are DEC carriers and that antimicrobial resistance at high levels is widely disseminated among these enteropathogens.

Highlights

Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (DEC) is a relevant cause of diarrhea, among infants and young children in developing countries
Of the 314 E. coli isolates from 57 children, with and without diarrhea, 15% (48/314) were classified in DEC categories: aEPEC (56%, 27/48), enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC) (35%, 17/48) and enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) (8%, 4/48)
Studies carried out around the world report that the pathogenic groups of Escherichia coli associated with human diseases and in animals are markedly diversified, being able to cause intestinal or extra-intestinal infections according to their repertoire of virulence traits [9] [12] [13]

Summary

Introduction

Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (DEC) is a relevant cause of diarrhea, among infants and young children in developing countries. Methodology: We compared the frequency, antimicrobial resistance, adherence, enterovirulence and genetic diversity of DEC isolates from Guarani indigenous population under five living in distinct villages in Brazil. Results: Of the 314 E. coli isolates from 57 children, with and without diarrhea, 15% (48/314) were classified in DEC categories: aEPEC (56%, 27/48), EAEC (35%, 17/48) and ETEC (8%, 4/48). Intestinal E. coli pathotypes (or diarrheagenic E. coli, DEC) cause significant morbidity and mortality worldwide in children under 5 years of age, especially in the developing world [9] [10] [11]. DEC comprises important agents of endemic and epidemic diarrhea worldwide, associated with asymptomatic carriage or clinically symptomatic disease related to acute and persistent diarrhea [9] [11] [12] [13]

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Discussion

Conclusion