Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Enterotoxigenic and necrotizing Escherichia coli in human diarrhoea in Spain

  • Published:
European Journal of Epidemiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) strains of serotype 0153: K-:H45 CFA/I+ STa+ were associated with two outbreaks of neonatal diarrhoea that occurred in two different hospitals of Madrid, in one of which several children died. Two other outbreaks were associated with ETEC strains of serotypes 0159: K-: H21 (LT+) and 0159: K-: H4 (LT+ STa+) without CFA/I and CFA/II colonization factors. Necrotizing E. coli (NTEC) strains of serotype 06: K13, producing the cytotoxic necrotizing factor CNFI and α-haemolysin, were also associated with two outbreaks of neonatal diarrhoea that occured in a hospital in Madrid and in a hospital in Talavera de la Reina. The results of the characterization of some ETEC and NTEC strains isolated from sporadic cases of diarrhoea are also discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. AgüeroM.E.Reyes L., Prado Y., Ørskov I., Ørskov F. and Cabello F.C. (1985): Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli in a population of infants with diarrhoea in Chile- J. Clin. Microbiol. 22: 576–581.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Alonso M.P., Blanco J., Blanco M. and Gonzalez E.A. (1987): Frequent production of toxins by Escherichia coli strains isolated from urinary tract infections: relation with haemagglutination - FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 48: 391–396.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Barry A.L. and Thornsberry C. (1980): Susceptibility testing: diffusion test procedures. In: Manual of Clinical Microbiology, 3th edition (Lennette E.H., Balows A., Hausler Jr W.J. and Truant J., eds), 463–474- American Society for Microbiology, Washington.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Bisicchia R., Ciammarughi R., Caprioli A., Falbo V. and Ruggeri F.M. (1985): Toxin production and haemagglutination in strains of Escherichia coli from diarrhoea in Brescia, Italy - J. Hyg. Camb. 95: 353–361.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Blanco J., González E.A., Bernárdez I. and Varela B.R. (1983): Enterotoxigenic and enteropathogenic Escherichia coli in Galicia (North-west Spain) - Med. Microbiol. Immunol. 172: 165–169.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Blanco J., González E.A. and Anadón R. (1985): Colonization antigens and haemagglutination patterns of human Escherichia coli - Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. 4: 316–326.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Blanco J., Gonzalez E.A., Blanco M., Alonso M.P. and Barbadillo M.J. (1988): Toxins and serotypes of faecal non-enterotoxigenic and non-enteropathogenic Escherichia coli strains causing mannose-resistant haemagglutination: relation with haemagglutination patterns - Zbl. Bakt. Hyg. A269: 43–55.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Blanco J., González E.A., Garcia S., Blanco M., Regueiro B. and Bernárdez I. (1988): Production of toxins by Escherichia coli strains isolated from calves with diarrhoea in Galicia (North-western Spain) -Vet. Microbiol. 18: 297–311.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Blanco J., Gonzalez E.A., Blanco M., Garabal J.I., Alonso M.P., Jansen W.H. and Guinée P.A.M. (1989): Prevalence of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli strains in outbreaks and sporadic cases of diarrhoea in Spain- Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. 8: 396–400.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Blanco J., Alonso M.P., González E.A., Blanco M. and Garabal J.I. (1990): Virulence factors of bacteraemic Escherichia coli with particular reference to production of cytotoxic necrotising factor (CNF) by P-fimbriate strains - J. Med. Microbiol. 31: 175–183.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Blanco J., Blanco M., González E.A., Alonso M.P. and Garabal J.I. (1990): Comparative evaluation of three tests for the detection of Escherichia coli cytotoxic necrotizing factors (CNFI and CNF2) using filtrates of cultures treated with mitomycin C. - FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 69: 311–316.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Bockemühl J., Wohlers B., Aleksic S., Prause G., Mühlau M., Plavsic S., Shahin S. and Aleksic Y. (1989): Incidence of sporadic infections due to enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) in the population of Hamburg, North Germany - Zbl. Bakt. 272: 58–64.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Brunton J., Hinde D., Langston C., Gross R., Rowe B. and Gurwith M. (1980): Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli in Central Canada - J. Clin. Microbiol. 11: 343–348.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Caprioli A., Falbo V., Roda L.G., Ruggeri F.M. and Zona C. (1983): Partial purification and characterization of an Escherichia coli toxic factor that induces morphological cell alterations - Infect. Immun. 39: 1300–1306.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Caprioli A., Falbo V., Ruggeri F.M., Baldassarri L., Bisicchia R., Ippolito G., Romoli E. and Donelli G. (1987): Cytotoxic necrotizing factor production by hemolytic strains of Escherichia coli causing extraintestinal infections -J. Clin. Microbiol. 25: 146–149.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Caprioli A., Falbo Y., Ruggeri E.M., Bisicchia R., Casalino M. and Donelli G. (1988): Comparison among enterotoxigenic strains of Escherichia coli isolated in Italy and Somalia - Eur. J. Epidemiol. 4: 251–255.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Danielsson M.L., Möllby R., Brag H., Hansson N., Jonsson P., Olsson E. and Wadström T. (1979): Enterotoxigenic enteric bacteria in foods and outbreaks of food-borne diseases in Sweden - J. Hyg. Camb. 83: 33–39.

    Google Scholar 

  18. DeRycke L., Guillot J.F. and Boivin R. (1987): Cytotoxins in non-enterotoxigenic strains of Escherichia coli isolated from feces of diarrheic calves- Vet. Microbiol. 15: 137–150.

    Google Scholar 

  19. DeRycke J., González E.A., Blanco J., Oswald E., Blanco M. and Boivin R. (1990): Evidence of two types of cytotoxic necrotizing factors (CNF1 and CNF2) in human and animal clinical isolates of Escherichia coli- J. Clin. Microbiol. 28: 694–699.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Escheverria P., Seriwatana J., Taylor D.N., Changchawalit S., Smyth C.J., Twohig J. and Rowe B. (1986): Plasmid coding for colonization factor antigens I and II, heat-labile enterotoxin and heat-stable enterotoxin A2 in Escherichia coli - Infect. Immun. 51: 626–630.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Escribano A., Ørskov L., Ørskov F. and Borras R. (1987): Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli 0153: H45 from an outbreak of diarrhoea in Spain - Med. Microbiol. Immunol. 176: 241–244.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Georges M.C., Wachsmuth L.K., Brikness K.A., Moseley S.L. and Georges A.J. (1983): Genetic probes for enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli isolated from childhood diarrhea in Central Africa Republic - J. Clin. Microbiol. 18: 199–202.

    Google Scholar 

  23. González E.A., Blanco J., Baloda S.B. and Wadström T. (1988): Relative cell surface hydrophobicity of Escherichia coli strains with various recognized fimbrial antigens and without recognized fimbriae -Zbl. Bakt. Hyg. A269: 218–236.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Gross R.J., Rowe B., Henderson A., Byatt M.E. and Maclauring J.C. (1976): A new Escherichia coli O-group 0159, associated with oubreaks of enteritis in infants - Scand. J. Infect. Dis. 8: 195–198.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Guinée P.A.M., Jansen W.H., Wadström T. and SellwoodR. (1981): Escherichia coli associated with neonatal diarrhoea in piglets and calves. In: Current Topics in Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, vol. 13 (De Leeuw P.W. and Guinee P.A.M., eds) -126–162 Martinus Nijhoff, The Hague.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Kudoh Y., Zen-Yoji H., Matsushita S., Sakai S. and Murayama T. (1977): Outbreaks of acute enteritis due to heat-stable enterotoxin-producing strains of Escherichia coli - Microbiol. Immunol. 21: 175–178.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Levine M.M., Ristaino P., Sack R.B., Kaper J.B., Ørskov F. and Ørskov I. (1983): Colonization factor antigens I and II and type I somatic pili in enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli: relation to enterotoxin type - Infect. Immun. 39: 889–897.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Levine M.M. (1987): Escherichia coli that cause diarrhea: enterotoxigenic, enteropathogenic, enteroinvasive, enterohemorrhagic, and enteroadherent - J. Infect. Dis. 155: 377–389.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Merson M.H., Ørskov F., Ørskov I., Sack R.B., Huq I. and Koster F.T. (1979): Relationship between enterotoxin production and serotype in enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli - Infect. Immun. 23: 325–329.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Ørskov F. and Ørskov I. (1984): Serotyping of Escherichia coli. In: Methods in Microbiology, vol. 14 (Bergan T., ed.) - 43–112. Academic Press, London.

    Google Scholar 

  31. Rowe B., Gross R. and Takeda Y. (1983): Serotyping of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli isolated from diarrhoeal travellers from various Asian countries -FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 20: 187–189.

    Google Scholar 

  32. Sack R.B., Froehlich J.L., Zulich A.W., Hidi D.S., Kapikian A.Z., Ørskov F., Ørskov I. and Greenberg H.B. (1979): Prophylactic doxycycline for travelers' diarrhea. Results of a prospective double-blind study of Peace Corps volunteers in Morocco -Gastroenterol. 76: 1368–1373.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Smith H.W. (1974): A search for transmissible pathogenic characters in invasive strains of Escherichia coli: the discovery of a plasmid-controlled toxin and a plasmid-controlled lethal character closely associated, or identical, with colicine V - J. Gen. Microbiol. 83: 95–111.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Microbiologia y Parasitologia - Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Santiago, Lugo, Spain

    J. Blanco, E. A. González, M. Blanco & J. I. Garabal

  2. Servicio de Bacteriología - Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Virologia e Immunologia Sanitarias, Instituto Nacional de la Salud, Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain

    P. Espinosa

  3. Unidad de Microbiologia, Hospital Xeral, Lugo, Spain

    M. P. Alonso

Authors
  1. J. Blanco
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. E. A. González
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. P. Espinosa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. M. Blanco
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. J. I. Garabal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. M. P. Alonso
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Corresponding author.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Blanco, J., González, E.A., Espinosa, P. et al. Enterotoxigenic and necrotizing Escherichia coli in human diarrhoea in Spain. Eur J Epidemiol 8, 548–552 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00146375

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00146375

Key words

Search

Navigation