Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli from healthy cattle in a semi-urban community in Calcutta, India.

From October to December 1998, single faecal samples from 67 healthy cattle in a semi-urban community near Calcutta were examined for Shiga toxin producing Esch. coli (STEC) using a multiplex PCR primary screen followed by plating on sorbitol MacConkey agar. STEC was isolated from the faeces of 7 (10.5%) animals. The eight strains isolated belonged to eight serotypes viz, O146:H1, O149:HNT, ONT:H34, ONT:H19, O88:HN, ONT:H2, O82:H8 and O28ac:H21. Bead enzyme linked immunosorbent assay showed that three strains produced Shiga toxin 1, one produced Shiga toxin 2 and four produced both.

Detection of pathogenic of bacteria in children with diarrhoea

86 children ranging from one to three years old with diarrhoea from Yangon Children's Hospital and respective controls were included in this study. Isolation rates of major pathogens responsible for acute diarrhoea in children were Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) 8.1 per cent , Salmonella 1.2 per cent, Shigella sonnei 1.2 per cent, Plesiomonas 1.2 per cent and vibrios 1.2 per cent. In the control group the prevalence was found to be ETEC 9.3 per cent, EPEC 7.0 per cent, Salmonella 12.0 per cent , S. sonnei 1.2 per cent, Plesiomonas 7.0 per cent and vibrios 1.2 per cent. The total pathogen isolated from diarrhoea and control cases were 46.5 per cent and 38.4 per cent respectively. It was also noted that Salmonella and Plesiomonas isolation rates were higher in the control group.