Alfinete N, Bolukaoto JY, Heine L, Potgieter N, Barnard TG. Virulence and phylogenetic analysis of enteric pathogenic Escherichia coli isolated from children with diarrhoea in South Africa.
Int J Infect Dis 2021;
114:226-232. [PMID:
34775113 DOI:
10.1016/j.ijid.2021.11.017]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Diarrhoeagenic E. coli pose a significant risk to human health. As such, determining the source(s) of these bacteria when isolated from patients with diarrhoea is an important step in disease prevention.
OBJECTIVES
This study aimed to identify the presence of genes coding for virulence and phylogroups among E. coli isolated from children hospitalised due to diarrhoea in Limpopo, South Africa.
METHODS
E. coli isolates were identified by VITEK®-2 automated system. An 11-gene multiplex PCR was used to differentiate five pathogenic types of E. coli: enteroaggregative (EAEC), enteroinvasive (EIEC), enterohaemorrhagic (EHEC), enteropathogenic (EPEC) and enterotoxigenic (ETEC). Clermont quadruplex PCR method was used to identify phylogroups of isolates.
RESULTS
From the 133 isolates tested, 79 were confirmed as E. coli of which (19.0%, 15/79) were commensals and 81.0% (64/79) isolates were positive for at least one pathotype of which ETEC was predominant (16.5%, 13/79), followed by EAEC (10.1%, 8/79), EPEC (7.6%, 6/79) and EHEC (2.5%, 2/79). Hybrid pathotypes were also detected and EAEC/ETEC was predominant (25.3%, 20/79). Phylogroup B2 was predominant (30.4%, 24/79), followed by group B1 (22.8%, 18/79), phylogroup C and E both had (12.7%, 10/79) each. Just over six percent (5/79) of isolates were non-typable.
CONCLUSION
There was a high distribution of diarrhoeagenic E. coli associated with different phylogroups among children living in Limpopo province, South Africa. This emphasises the importance of future monitoring of virulence and phylogroup distribution of E. coli isolates in this province in particular and South Africa as a whole.
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