A prospective study on Molecular Characterization of Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli among Pediatric Patient

Abstract

ABSTRACT newlineDiarrheal diseases are major cause of morbidity and mortality in lowand#8208; to middleand#8208;income countries and estimated to be second leading cause of mortality among children lt 5 years of age, resulting in 0.5 million deaths globally. Suband#8208;Saharan and South East Asian regions account for highest burden of the disease (gt72%). newlineDiarrheal disease is one of the major causes of childhood mortality in resourcelimited countries. In 2019, diarrhea caused 499,950 deaths globally among children under 5 years old; the highest number of deaths was in Africa. newlineUnfortunately, India bears highest toll of the disease which demands acceleration in interventions for diarrhea prevention and cure. Despite the welland#8208;known fact that diarrheal diseases are transmitted by fecal oral route inexorable outbreaks continue to be a scourge globally. Infectious milieu of diarrhea shed light on its multifactorial nature and vast array of disease etiology. [5] Virulence arsenal of etiological agents varies with geographical features and become significantly evident in choice of treatment protocol. Therefore, for a successful treatment regime, identification of etiological agents is of utmost significance. newlineEscherichia coli is enormously versatile bacterium which elaborates its commensal and pathogenic potential in human host. Escherichia coli is a normal inhabitant of the human gut and part of the intestinal flora. However, certain E. coli types can be pathogenic to humans and cause diarrhea, particularly in children. newlineDiarrheagenic E. coli (DEC) is reported as one of the leading causes of gastrointestinal disorders worldwide and signified as an important issue to address in public health. [8] In lowand#8208; to middleand#8208;income countries, gt40% of diarrheal episodes among children are caused by diarrheagenic E. coli pathotypes. These pathotypes also play a considerable role in diarrhea morbidity in the Indian population.