Determination of pathotypes and antibiotic resistance patterns of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli strains isolated from children with diarrhea in Khorram Abaad; Lorestan; Iran

and purpose Escherichia coli pathogenic strains are considered as the main cause of intestinal and extra-intestinal diseases. This study is aimed to identify and evaluate the dominant pathotypes of diarrheagenic E. coli isolates.

In this current study, 578 diarrhea samples of the children less than 10 years old were collected in Khoram Abbad city. After culture and isolation, the pathogenic groups of diarrheagenic E. coli (DEC) isolates including four pathotypes of Enterotoxigenic E. coli, Enteropathogenic E. coli, Enteroinvasive E. coli, and Shiga toxigenic E. coli were investigated by PCR. Disk diffusion method (Kirby Bauer) was used for detection of antimicrobial sensitivity of the isolates.

Out of 578 stool samples collected from the children with diarrhea, 81 isolates were determined as DEC. The frequencies of the isolates were respectively reported as the following: enterotoxigenic E. coli (15.1%), enteropathogenic E. coli (14%), enteroinvasive E. coli (5%), and shiga toxigenic E. coli (9.7%). The highest antibiotic resistance levels were respectively reported to: amoxicilin (78%), tetracycline (74.1%), co-trimoxazole (64.2%), nalidixic acid (56.8%), streptomycin (46.9%), minocycline (38.3%), and ciprofloxacin (16.1%). Multiple drug resistance was found in 30.9% of the isolates.

Enterotoxigenic E. coli is one of the most common diarrheagenic agents affecting the children less than 10 years old in this region. So, such diseases can be prevented by controlling water and food hygiene especially in warm seasons.