Abstract

Tropheryma whipplei, which causes Whipple disease, is found in human feces and may cause gastroenteritis. To show that T. whipplei causes gastroenteritis, PCRs for T. whipplei were conducted with feces from children 2-4 years of age. Western blotting was performed for samples from children with diarrhea who had positive or negative results for T. whipplei. T. whipplei was found in samples from 36 (15%) of 241 children with gastroenteritis and associated with other diarrheal pathogens in 13 (33%) of 36. No positive specimen was detected for controls of the same age (0/47; p = 0.008). Bacterial loads in case-patients were as high as those in patients with Whipple disease and significantly higher than those in adult asymptomatic carriers (p = 0.002). High incidence in patients and evidence of clonal circulation suggests that some cases of gastroenteritis are caused or exacerbated by T. whipplei, which may be co-transmitted with other intestinal pathogens.

Highlights

  • Medscape, LLC is pleased to provide online continuing medical education (CME) for this journal article, allowing clinicians the opportunity to earn CME credit

  • To investigate whether T. whipplei caused gastroenteritis, we studied the prevalence of T. whipplei DNA in a prospective study of children with diarrhea and controls with diarrhea

  • T. whipplei has been identified by PCR in stools of persons without Whipple disease [20]

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Summary

Introduction

LLC is pleased to provide online continuing medical education (CME) for this journal article, allowing clinicians the opportunity to earn CME credit. This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and policies of the Accreditation. Council for Continuing Medical Education through the joint sponsorship of Medscape, LLC and Emerging Infectious Diseases. LLC is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians. All other clinicians completing this activity will be issued a certificate of participation. Gryczan has disclosed no relevant financial relationships. MD, has disclosed no relevant financial relationships

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