Diarrheagenic pathotypes frequency in Khuzestan province of Iran.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Diarrheagenic (DEC) is an emerging agent among pathogens that causes diarrhea. Studies showed that diarrheagenic such as enterohaemorrhagic (EHEC), enteroaggregative (EAEC), enteropathogenic (EPEC), enteroinvasive (EIEC), enterotoxigenic (ETEC), diffusely adhering (DAEC) and shiga toxin producing (STEC) strains are among the most frequent causative agents in acute diarrhea. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of DEC pathotypes in Khuzestan province.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Stool samples were collected from patients with diarrhea in Khuzestan province of Iran. strains were isolated using conventional culture and standard biochemical tests. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique was used to detect presence of virulence genes, i.e; , 1 and 2 for EHEC, and for EPEC, and for ETEC, for EAEC, for EIEC, 1 and 2 for STEC.

RESULTS

Altogether, 200 stool samples were obtained from patients, of which 158 (79%) were positive for . DEC was identified in 127 (63%) of stool samples, which frequency of each pathotypes were as follows: atypical EPEC 49 (39%), typical EPEC 1 (0.7%), STEC 50 (39.3%), ETEC 21 (16.3%), EAEC 5 (4.0%) and EIEC 1 (0.7%). Most frequent etiological agents of diarrhea in Khuzestan province of Iran were STEC and EPEC.

CONCLUSION

Our findings showed DEC had been agent of diarrhea in Khuzestan. This finding provides evidence that effort should be made to estimate the burden of infection by the etiological agent for better medical approach and should raise notification about antibiotic resistance among bacterial infection.