Molecular detection of diarrheagenic pathotypes of Escherichia coli from diarrheic patients in Keffi, Nigeria

Escherichia coli (E. coli) is among the pathogens that cause diarrhea both in developed and developing countries. Molecular detection of pathotypes of E. coli causing diarrhea in Keffi, Nigeria was carried out. Fifty (50) stool samples were collected from patients attending two health facilities in Keffi, who are suspected to have diarrhea. E. coli was isolated from the stool samples using standard microbiological methods. Molecular detection of genes encoding virulence factors of the different pathotypes of diarrhegenicE. coli(DEC) namely: enteroaggregativeE. coli (EAEC), enteroinvasiveE. coli (EIEC), enterohemorrhagicE.coli(EHEC), enteropathogenicE. coli (EPEC), and enterotoxigenicE.coli (ETEC) was carried out using multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction (mPCR) method. All the samples collected harbored E. coli. The order of detection frequency of DEC was: EAEC (22.0%) > EIEC and ETEC (2.0%) > EHEC and EPEC (0.0%).