Frequency of Escherichia coli O157: H7 in children with diarrhoea in Zahedan, Islamic Republic of Iran

ABSTRACT

Escherichia coli O157H7 has been implicated in diarrhoea, dysentery, haemorrhagic colitis and uraemic haemolytic syndrome but is not routinely cultured in laboratories. We tested 322 samples from children referred with diarrhoea to a clinic in Zahedan, Islamic Republic of Iran. There were 21 sorbitol-negative E. coli isolated; serotyping revealed 4 strains positive for O157, out of which only 2 strains were identified as E. coli O157H7. Both cases were boys, aged 1.5 and 4 years respectively. Antibiotic sensitivity testing found the strains were sensitive for amikacin, gentamicin, nitrofurantoin and tobramycin and resistant to chloramphenicol, cefalexin, cefalothin and co-trimoxazole