ENTEROTOXIGENIC AND INVASIVE ESCHERICHIA COLI AS CAUSES OF CHILDHOOD DIARRHOEA IN FINLAND

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Abstract
Mäki, M., Vesikari, T. and Grönroos, P. (Departments of Paediatrics and Microbiology, Tampere Central Hospital, Tampere, Finland). Enterotoxigenic and invasive Escherichia coli as causes of childhood diarrhoea in Finland. Acta Paediatr Scand, 69:219, 1980.—E. coli was considered as the possible aetiologic agent in 16 cases (5.7 %) of 283 hospital admissions for diarrhoea. One invasive strain was isolated from a case with exudative diarrhoea. Four heat‐labile (LT) enterotoxin‐producing strains were found in relatively mild cases of diarrhoea. Eleven strains belonged to “classic” pathogenic serotypes (EPEC); 9 of these were endemic cases and 2 associated with travel. Of the latter, 1 strain (078) was also found to produce heat‐stable (ST) enterotoxin detectable by infant mouse assay. Although EPEC are now found much less frequently than 20 years ago, E. coli as a whole may still be the most common bacterial aetiology of childhood diarrhoea in Finland.