Prevalence, seasonal variation, and antibiotic resistance pattern of enteric bacterial pathogens among hospitalized diarrheic children in suburban regions of central Kenya

Background: The epidemiology of enteric pathogens has not been well studied in Kenya because of wide disparities in health status across the country. Therefore, the present study describes the prevalence of enteropathogenic bacteria, their seasonal variation, and antibiotic resistance profiles among hospitalized diarrheic children in a suburban region of central Kenya. Methods: Fecal samples were collected between July 2009 and December 2013 from a total of 1410 children younger than 5years, hospitalized with acute diarrhea in Kiambu County Hospital, Kenya. Conventional culture, biochemical, and molecular methods were conducted to identify causative bacterial pathogens and their virulence factors. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests were performed using E-test strips and VITEK-2 advanced expert system (AES) to evaluate the drug-resistance pattern of the isolates. Results: Of the 1410 isolates, bacterial infections were identified in 474 cases. Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (DEC) was the most frequently isolated pathogen (86.5%). Other pathogens such as Aeromonas (5.5%), Shigella (4%), Salmonella (3.4%), Providencia (3.2%), Vibrio spp. (1.1%), Yersinia enterocolitica (1.1%), and Plesiomonas shigelloides (0.2%) were also identified. Mixed bacterial infection was observed among 11.1% of the cases. The highest infection rate was found during the dry season (59.3%, p=0.04). Most of the DEC was found to be multidrug resistant to trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole 97.6%, amoxicillin 97.6%, erythromycin 96.9%, ampicillin 96.6%, and streptomycin 89%. Conclusions: This study suggests that DEC is the leading diarrhea-causing bacterial pathogen circulating in central Kenya, and seasonality has a significant effect on its transmission. Proper antibiotic prescription and susceptibility testing is important to guide appropriate antimicrobial therapy

Escherichia coli in animals

Escherichia coli is the most widely studied bacterium over the world. It is well known that E. coli is the predominant non-pathogenic microbiota of warm blood species; however, some strains have developed the ability to cause severe diseases. Taking into account the diversity in American countries, this chapter examines the complex situation of puzzling intestinal pathogenic E. coli, also called diarrheagenic, (enteropathogenic E. coli, Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, enterotoxigenic E. coli, enteroaggregative E. coli, enteroinvasive E. coli, diffusely adherent E. coli), and extra-intestinal E. coli (uropathogenic E. coli, neonatal meningitis-associated E. coli, avian pathogenic E. coli, sepsis-associated E. coli, mammary pathogenic E. coli, endometrial pathogenic E. coli, and necrotoxigenic E. coli) in animals. In addition to E. coli associated animal diseases, the role of carriers and reservoirs are presented, including the last regional references from synanthropic and wild animals. Findings of the last 5 years are discussed and data of the eco-epidemiology of E. coli is also included. Considering the concept of One Health, that recognizes that health of humans is connected to health of animals and the environment, the strategies to diminish illness in human population cannot exclude control and vigilance of pathogenic strains in animals. However, in E. coli control, strategies distinguish between those strains that produce animal illness and those that affect humans and have an animal reservoir. The different proposed ways to E. coli control are also discussed.Fil: Etcheverría, Analía Inés. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tandil. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil; ArgentinaFil: Lucchesi, Paula Maria Alejandra. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tandil. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil; ArgentinaFil: Krüger, Alejandra. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tandil. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil; ArgentinaFil: Bentancor, Adriana Beatriz. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias; ArgentinaFil: Padola, Nora Lía. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tandil. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil; Argentin