Chapter 10

Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli in Argentina

Marta Rivas, Nora Lia Padola, Paula MA Lucchesi and Marcelo Masana

Abstract

In Argentina, a total of 1,117,718 diarrheal diseases cases were notified in 2008 with an incidence rate of 28.12/100,000 inhabitants, being Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (DEC) strains the most important etiological agents associated to them. Several community-based studies have assessed the relative frequency of DEC pathotypes, accounting for 6 to 28.8% (EPEC), 9.7 to 24.4% (ETEC), 0.3 to 17.1% (EIEC), 1.2 to 17.1% (STEC), 20 to 31.4% (EAEC), and 27.1 to 29% (DAEC). In the last 10 years, approximately 500 HUS cases were reported annually, with an incidence that ranged between 7.8 and 17/100,000 children less than 5 years of age. STEC O157:H7 was the major serotype isolated (60%), with prevalent genotype stx2/stx2c(vh-a)/eae/ehxA (81.4%), mainly of the phage type 4 (40%). Two XbaI-PFGE patterns are prevalent, AREXHX01.0011 and AREXHX01.0022, representing respectively 9.9% and 5.6% of the E. coli O157 Argentinean isolates in the database. Among the non-O157 STEC strains, genetic profiles were more diverse, but stx2/eae/ehxA (66.2%) was prevalent. STEC strains, mainly Stx2-producers, have been recovered from animals and food, being cattle an important reservoir, with increased risk of illness linked to beef-related dietary habits, and animal exposure. The implementation of integral preventive measures is necessary to decrease the incidence of diarrheal disease in Argentina and the associated human and economic costs.

Total Pages: 142-161 (20)

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