[Epidemiologic study of enterotoxigenic and enteropathogenic Escherichia coli isolated from infantile diarrhea cases on the Wallis and Futuna Islands (French Overseas Territory)]

Abstract

We have studied the incidence of enteropathogenic and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli strains associated with infant diarrhoeal disease in Wallis and Futuna (South Pacific) during a period of 3 months. We have isolated enteropathogenic E. coli in 30,4% of children. The most frequently serotypes isolated were 0119:B14 (32%), 0111:B4 (23%) and 0126:B16 (19%). In this last serotype 6 strains released heat-stable enterotoxin. Enterotoxigenic E. coli were isolated from 8,1% of the children with diarrhea (20 strains), 13 strains released heat-labile toxin, 6 released heat-stable toxin (serotype 0126:B16) and 1 strain produced both.