Comparative Isolation of <i>Escherichia coli</i> 0157:H7 from Diarrhoeic and Non-Diarrhoeic Children in Selected Communities in Cross River State, Nigeria

Abstract

Escherichia coli O157:H7 has been considered an emerging foodborne pathogen causing severe diarrheal disease globally especially among children under the age of five years in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study was aimed at conducting a comparative study on the rate of isolation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 from diarrhoeic and non-diarrhoeic children in selected communities in Cross River State, Nigeria. Stool samples were collected from children under the age of five yrs and the pathogen isolated and identified using standard microbiological and biochemical procedures. Serological analysis to detect E. coli 0157:H7 serotype was carried out using Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and anti-rabbit H7 latex serum agglutination techniques. Out of 367 diarrhoeic children sampled, 70 (19.07%) were positive for E. coli 0157:H7 and the prevalence differed significantly (p<0.05) with the control. The prevalence of E. coli 0157:H7 between diarrhoeal (19.07%) and non-diarrhoeal (1.39%) cases also differed significantly (p<0.05) among the sampling areas. Diarrhoeric children below the age of one year had significantly highest prevalence of 26.83% at p<0.05 though no significant relationship between the sex of the children and the rate of infection with the organism was observed. Children diarrhoaeic stool therefore serves as a major vehicle in the domestic transmission of Escherichia coli O157:H7. Improved personal hygiene and environmental sanitation among parents and care givers can reduce the spread of diarrheal disease caused by this pathogen amongst children under the age of five years.

Phenotypic Characterization and Plasmid DNA Profiling of Multidrug-Resistant Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus in Wastewater Effluents From Healthcare Environments in Lafia, Nigeria

“…The detection of E. coli and S. aureus in the samples may be attributed to the fact that these pathogens are common contaminants in the hospital environment and are commonly found in the gastrointestinal tracts of both humans and animals. 3,5,21 Direct and indirect fecal contamination of wastewater from hospitals and healthcare centers is a common phenomenon, which may contribute to the development of antibiotic-resistant strains that can horizontally disseminate to other organisms. A similar study on untreated liquid hospital waste reported the highest resistance (75%) among E. coli isolates to amoxicillin, although its prevalence value of 24.1% was significantly lower than that obtained in this study.…”

“…E. coli O157:H7, an enterohaemorrhagic pathogen associated with human diarrhoea, can potentially be released into the healthcare environment through wastewater effluents. 3 Previous studies have reported an increase in the number of multidrug-resistant pathogens within the hospital environment due to the routine discharge of antibiotics into the environment, either in metabolized or unmetabolized forms. Microorganisms in hospital effluents tend to develop resistance to the antibiotics released alongside them in order to survive in such environments.…”