Diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli isolated from children with acute diarrhoea at Rakai hospital, Southern Uganda

Abstract

Abstract; Background: Diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli (DEC) is a leading cause of childhood diarrhoea in the developing countries. However, there is scanty information on DEC and its association with childhood diarrhoea in Uganda. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of DEC and its pathotypes among children with acute diarrhoea in Southern Uganda. Results: A cross-sectional study was conducted over a period of 3 months, May 2016 to July 2016. A total of 267 children less than 5 years with acute diarrhoea admitted to Rakai General Hospital in Southern Uganda were enrolled into the study. Stool was collected from all the children and processed for isolation of E. coli . Conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to determine the presence of DEC and its pathotypes . A total of 102 (38.2%, 102/267) children had DEC of various pathotypes –enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC) (14.2%); enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) (6.7%); enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) (6%); enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC) (7.5%); enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) (3%); and cell-detaching E. coli (CDEC) (0.75%). The difference in overall prevalence of DEC was not significant regarding HIV status but individually, ETEC was associated with HIV-negative status while EAEC and CDEC were associated with HIV-positive status. Conclusions: DEC is prevalent in Ugandan children with acute diarrhoea. Therefore, its identification should be considered among strategies for combatting childhood diarrhoea in Uganda.