Abstract
A PCR technique to differentiate pathogenic enteric Escherichia coli strains in a field setting was evaluated. Among 76 children with acute diarrhea, this technique identified 12 children (16%) with enterotoxigenic E. coli, 6 (8%) with enteropathogenic E. coli, and 1 (1%) with enteroinvasive E. coli infection. Compared with the conventional assays, the PCR method proved to be simpler, more rapid, and inexpensive and therefore suitable for application in a developing-country field setting.
Publication types
-
Comparative Study
-
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
-
Bacteriological Techniques
-
Base Sequence
-
Brazil / epidemiology
-
Child, Preschool
-
DNA Primers / genetics
-
DNA, Bacterial / genetics
-
Diarrhea / epidemiology
-
Diarrhea / microbiology
-
Escherichia coli / classification
-
Escherichia coli / genetics*
-
Escherichia coli / pathogenicity
-
Escherichia coli Infections / epidemiology
-
Escherichia coli Infections / microbiology
-
Evaluation Studies as Topic
-
Humans
-
Infant
-
Infant, Newborn
-
Molecular Epidemiology
-
Molecular Sequence Data
-
Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods*
-
Species Specificity
Substances
-
DNA Primers
-
DNA, Bacterial