TY - JOUR AU - Nguyen, Rang AU - Taylor, Louise AU - Tauschek, Marija AU - Robins-Browne, Roy T1 - Atypical Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli Infection and Prolonged Diarrhea in Children T2 - Emerging Infectious Disease journal PY - 2006 VL - 12 IS - 4 SP - 597 SN - 1080-6059 AB - Some clinical isolates of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) lack bundle-forming pili and are termed atypical EPEC. The aim of this study was to determine if atypical EPEC are pathogens by comparing the clinical features of patients infected with atypical EPEC with those of children infected with other causative agents of diarrhea. Fecal samples obtained from children attending the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne for investigation of diarrhea were examined for adenovirus, rotavirus, Campylobacter spp., Salmonella spp., protozoa, and pathogenic E. coli. Clinical data were obtained by using a standardized pro forma and analyzed separately. Patients infected with atypical EPEC experienced mild, nondehydrating, and noninflammatory diarrhea that was not particularly associated with fever, vomiting, or abdominal pain. However, the duration of diarrhea in patients infected with atypical EPEC was significantly longer than that caused by the other species or where no pathogens were identified. Infection with atypical EPEC is associated with prolonged diarrhea. KW - Diarrhea KW - Escherichia coli KW - Escherichia coli infections KW - enteropathogenic E. coli KW - gastroenteritis KW - research KW - Australia DO - 10.3201/eid1204.051112 UR - https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/12/4/05-1112_article ER - End of Reference