MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF ENTEROPATHOGENIC Escherichia coli (epec) AMONG CHILDREN WITH GASTROENTERITIS IN OGUN STATE, NIGERIA
Akinboboye, O.A1., Adenekan, M.O1., Olubode, T2., Ikuejawa, I. I3 & Onasanya, R.O4.
1Department of Microbiology, Southwestern University, Okun-Owa, Ogun State.
2Department of Home and Rural Economics, Fed. Coll. of Agriculture, Moor Plantation, Ibadan
3Department of Agric. Ext. and Management, Fed. Coll. of Agriculture, Moor Plantation, Ibadan
4Department of Agriculture, Fed. College of Agriculture, Moor Plantation, P. M. B. 5029, Ibadan.
E-mail: omolikiarinola@gmail.com; mopadenekan@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT
Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli is one of the most important pathogens causing severe and persistent watery diarrhoea, abdominal pain, fever, vomiting and often lead to death in humans. Diarrhoeic faecal samples were collected from 210 children (aged < 5 years) in three different hospitals which are Federal Medical centre Idi-Aba Abeokuta, Otunba Tunwase Padectrics Centre, Ijebu Ode and Olabisi Onabanjo Teaching hospital Sagamu after questionnaires were administered. The stool samples were cultured for bacteria on Eosin methylene blue agar, MacConkey agar, and Salmonella-Shigella agar. Escherichia coli were identified using biochemical characterization. Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli were serotyped by slide agglutination test using specific Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli monovalent antisera (EPEC O111, O126, O86, O55, O128 and O26). Antibiotic sensitivity was carried out using disc diffusion method. Plasmids from multi-drug resistant Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli were extracted by Alkali-lysis method and electrophoresed. Genomic DNA were extracted from Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli and subjected to multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction for detection of effacing and attaching (eae), bundle-forming pili (bfp) and enteropathogenic Escherichia coli adherence factor (eaef) genes. The strains that exhibited multiple drug resistant were 21(18.8%) with plasmids detected in 12(57.1%) of the 21 multi-drug resistance Escherichia coli. Twenty-one of the Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli strains possessed effacing and attaching genes, 6 possessed bfp while 18 possessed eaef. Typical Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli strains were more prevalent (tEPEC) with (71.4%) than atypical (aEPEC) (28.6%). The molecular characterization of the Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli among children in this study, revealed typical Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (tEPEC) as the dominant strain in Ogun state.
Keyword: Multidrug, Enteropathogenic E. coli, Prevalence, Gastroenteritis, Typical Enteropathogenic E. coli,