Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli—A Summary of the Literature

Autor: Anca Delia Mare, Cristina Nicoleta Ciurea, Adrian Man, Bianca Tudor, Valeriu Moldovan, Luminița Decean, Felicia Toma
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2021
Předmět:
Zdroj: Gastroenterology Insights, Vol 12, Iss 1, Pp 28-40 (2021)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2036-7422
2036-7414
DOI: 10.3390/gastroent12010004
Popis: Diarrheal disease is still a major public health concern, as it is still considered an important cause of death in children under five years of age. A few decades ago, the detection of enteropathogenic E. coli was made by detecting the O, H, and K antigens, mostly by agglutination. The recent protocols recommend the molecular methods for diagnosing EPEC, as they can distinguish between typical and atypical EPEC by identifying the presence/absence of specific virulence factors. EPEC are defined as diarrheagenic strains of E. coli that can produce attaching and effacing lesions on the intestinal epithelium while being incapable of producing Shiga toxins and heat-labile or heat-stable enterotoxins. The ability of these strains to produce attaching and effacing lesions enable them to cause localized lesions by attaching tightly to the surface of the intestinal epithelial cells, disrupting the surfaces of the cells, thus leading to the effacement of the microvilli. EPEC are classified on typical and atypical isolates, based on the presence or absence of E. coli adherence factor plasmids. All the EPEC strains are eae positive; typical EPEC strains are eae+, bfpA+, while atypical strains are eae+, bfpA−. No vaccines are currently available to prevent EPEC infections.
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