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Prevalence of Different Virulence Factors and Biofilm Production in Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli Isolates Causing Diarrhea in Children in Ifakara (Tanzania)

This study investigated the prevalence of 19 virulence factors and biofilm production in 86 EAEC isolates causing diarrhea in children less than 5 years of age from Ifakara, Tanzania. Virulence factors were detected by PCR, whereas biofilm production was determined using a microtiter plate assay. No virulence factor, with the exception of the aat gene used to identify EAEC, was detected in 11/86 isolates (12.8%). The most frequently detected virulence factor was the aggR gene in 53 (61.6%) EAEC, followed by antigen 43 in 33.7%, dispersin in 26.7%, yersiniabactin in 22.1%; autrotransporter Sat in 20.9%; Shigella enterotoxin-1 in 16.3%, and heat-stable toxin-1 in 15.1%. Biofilm was produced in 66/86 (76%) isolates. AggR was the most prevalent virulence factor in the biofilm-forming group (65% versus 38%, P = 0.032). These results again show the high heterogeneity of virulence factors among EAEC isolates causing diarrhea in children, and that biofilm may be an important virulence factor, strongly associated with the presence of AggR.

Received October 31, 2007. Accepted for publication February 29, 2008.

^* Address correspondence to Jordi Vila, Servei de Microbiología, Hospital Clinic, Villarroel 170, 08036 Barcelona, Spain. E-mail: jvila{at}ub.edu

Authors’ addresses: Eva Mendez-Arancibia, Sara Soto, and Jordi Vila, Servei de Microbiología, Hospital Clinic, Villarroel 170, 08036 Barcelona, Spain, Tel: 34-932275522, Fax: 34-932279372, E-mail: jvila{at}ub.edu. Martha Vargas, Servei de Malalties Infeccioses. Joaquim Ruiz and Joaquim Gascón, Centre de Salut Intenacional and IDIBAPS, Hospital Clínic, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat de Bar-celona, Villarroel 170 08036-Barcelona, Spain. Eliseus Kahigwa and David Schellenberg, Honoraty Urassa, Ifakara Health Research and Development Centre, National Institute for Medical Research, Ifakara, Tanzania.