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Verotoxigenic (enterohaemorrhagic) Escherichia coli in infants and toddlers in Czechoslovakia

Enterohämorrhagische verotoxigene Escherichia coli bei Säuglingen und Kleinkindern in der Tschechoslowakei

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Summary

The results of the investigation indicate that verotoxigenicEscherichia coli (VTEC) belonging to enteropathogenic and other serogroups includingEscherichia coli O157 : H7 or H- are important enteropathogens in infants and toddlers in Czechoslovakia. As to enteropathogenic serotypes, verotoxin (VT) production was proved most frequently in strains of serogroup O26, and also O111 and O128. Diseases caused by them were as a rule manifested by febrile watery diarrhoea with mucus in the stool. In two of five infants withEscherichia coli O26 : H11 with VT1 production in titres of ≥ 1 : 512 (blood was present) in the stool and one suffered from marked abdominal pain. In one infant haemorrhagic colitis due toEscherichia coli O157 : H- was found. Haemolytic uraemic syndrome associated with VTEC of serogroups O157, O26, O18, O5 and O1 with VT1 and/or VT2 was observed in six children including five who contracted the disease during an outbreak in a small town, and the source of infection was probably contaminated water. Five children recovered and one died; the postmortem examination revealed haemorrhagic colitis and necrosis of the renal cortex. Haemorrhagic colitis caused byEscherichia coli O157 in infants and toddlers differed from the course hitherto described in older subjects by fever and the presence of mucus in the stools.

Zusammenfassung

Die Ergebnisse der Arbeit zeigen, daß verotoxigeneEscherichia coli (VTEC), die zu enteropathogenen und anderen Serogruppen gehören, einschließlichEscherichia coli O157 : H7 evtl. H-, bedeutende Enteropathogene bei Säuglingen und Kleinkindern in der CSFR darstellen. Unter den enteropathogenen Serotypen wurde die Produktion von Verotoxin (VT) am häufigsten bei Stämmen der Serogruppe O26 und weiter bei O111 und O128 nachgewiesen. Diese Erkrankungen verliefen am häufigsten wie ein fieberhafter wäßriger Durchfall mit Schleimbeimengung. Von fünf Säuglingen mitEscherichia coli O 26 : H11 mit VT1-Produktion im Titer ≥ 1 : 512 hatten zwei Blutbeimengungen in Stühlen und in einem Fall wurden starke Bauchschmerzen beobachtet. Ein hämolytisch-urämisches Syndrom im Zusammenhang mit VTEC der Serogruppen O157, O26, O18, O5 und O1 mit VT1 und/oder VT2 wurde bei sechs Kindern beobachtet. Von diesen erkrankten fünf Kinder während einer Epidemie in einer kleinen Stadt und die Ansteckungsquelle war wahrscheinlich kontaminiertes Wasser. Fünf Kinder genasen und ein Kind starb; der Sektionsbefund bewies eine hämorrhagische Kolitis und Nierenrindennekrose. Der Verlauf der vonEscherichia coli O157 hervorgerufenen Kolitiden bei Säuglingen und Kleinkindern unterschied sich vom bisher bei älteren Personen beschriebenen Verlauf durch Fieber und Schleimbeimengungen in den Stühlen.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Pediatrics, Institute of Medical Microbiology, Charles University of Prague, Czechoslovakia

    M. Bielaszewská CSc.

  2. Faculty of Pediatrics, I Clinic of Infectious Diseases, Charles University of Prague, Czechoslovakia

    L. Šrámková &  H. Ambrožová

  3. Faculty of Pediatrics, I Clinic of Pediatrics, Charles University of Prague, Czechoslovakia

    J. Janda CSc. &  K. Bláhová CSc.

Authors
  1. M. Bielaszewská CSc.
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  2. L. Šrámková
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  3. J. Janda CSc.
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  4. K. Bláhová CSc.
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  5. H. Ambrožová
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Bielaszewská, M., Šrámková, L., Janda, J. et al. Verotoxigenic (enterohaemorrhagic) Escherichia coli in infants and toddlers in Czechoslovakia. Infection 18, 352–356 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01646403

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01646403

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