Characterization of enteroaggregative Escherichia coli isolated from outbreaks of diarrhoeal disease in England

J. Spencer, H.R. Smith, H. Chart*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

18 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Twenty-two strains of enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAggEC), isolated from four outbreaks of diarrhoeal disease in England, were examined for a range of phenotypic attributes including the ability to produce fimbriae, haemolysins and siderophores, and cell-surface properties such as surface charge and hydrophobicity. Strains of EAggEC isolated from two of these outbreaks belonged to a diverse range of serotypes and were heterogeneous in phenotype. Strains of EAggEC isolated from the other two outbreaks belonged predominantly to serotypes O86[ratio ]H34 and O98[ratio ]H-, respectively. Only two strains expressed fimbriae and two strains produced an 18 kDa membrane associated protein (MAP), suggesting that EAggEC express a range of adhesion mechanisms to produce the cell arrangement recognized as the ‘stacked brick’ formation. The possible explanation for the diversity of EAggEC serotypes is discussed.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)413-421
Number of pages9
JournalEpidemiology and Infection
Volume123
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Dec 1999

Keywords

  • diarrhoeal disease
  • enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAggEC)
  • outbreaks

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Epidemiology
  • Infectious Diseases

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