An outbreak of infantile gastroenteritis due toE. coli0142

Abstract

SYNOPSIS Twelve cases of gastroenteritis caused by Escherichia coli 0142K86H6 are described. Ten of these caseswere clearly involved in an outbreak of cross infection. The other two cases yielded interesting information on infection with E. coli. 0142. Five cases, two being fatal, required repeated intravenous infusion, and one further infant required parenteral replacement therapy on a single occasion only. Cross infection occurred at the primary site-a ward partitioned into cubiclesdespite full barrier nursing techniques. Infection spread also to two other wards, and resulted from transfer of latently infected cases. Illness in several infants was protracted and debilitating because of the relapsing nature of the infection. The pathology of the two fatalities is reported briefly.

Escherichia coli that Cause Diarrhea: Enterotoxigenic, Enteropathogenic, Enteroinvasive, Enterohemorrhagic, and Enteroadherent

“…The major O serogroups considered to contain EPEC serotypes are shown in figure 1; except for 0142, this list represents a compilation of reports from Ewing et al [25] and Taylor [26], who headed the enteric reference laboratories at the Centers for Disease Control (Atlanta) and the Central Public Health Laboratory (Colindale, England), respectively, in the 1950s. 0142 was identified as a major EPEC serotype in the late 1960s and early 1970s [27][28][29][30]. Only certain H types are incriminated within each 0 serogroup [25,26].…”

Letter: Rheovirus and E. coli in infantile enteritis.

“…Bacteriologists must remain alert to the danger of outbreaks of infantile enteritis due to E. coli; those involved in the Teesside (Lancet,. 1968;British Medical Journal, 1968), Manchester (Jacobs, 1969;Jacobs et al, 1970), and Glasg:w (Rowe and Gross, 1971;Love et al, 1972;Kennedy et at, 1973) The authors have replied as follows:…”