ENTEROTOXIGENIC ESCHERICHIA-COLI DIARRHEA OF TRAVELERS - PROSPECTIVE-STUDY OF AMERICAN PEACE-CORPS VOLUNTEERS

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  • 1 January 1977
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 141  (2) , 63-70
Abstract
Travelers'' diarrhea was studied prospectively in 39 American Peace Corps Volunteers (PCV) during their 1st 5 wk in Kenya; 27 developed diarrheal disease and 12 remained well. Multiple episodes were documented in 11 of the symptomatic volunteers. Enterotoxigenic E. coli of many serotypes producing heat-labile and/or heat-stable enterotoxin were isolated from 17 of the 27 volunteers with diarrhea and from 1 of the 12 well volunteers. The enterotoxigenic E. coli were more likely to be antibiotic sensitive than the non-enterotoxigenic E. coli. A serum antibody rise to the heat-labile toxin (LT) was detected in 6 symptomatic volunteers, 5 of whom had a positive culture for LT-producing E. coli and from 1 asymptomatic, culture negative volunteer. Salmonella cubana was isolated from 2 volunteers, and 3 volunteers had serologic evidence of infection with human reovirus-like (rotavirus) agent. The role of enterotoxigenic E. coli as a major cause of travelers'' diarrhea was confirmed, and the disease is similar in widely separated geographic areas suggested.

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