Virulence factors of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli

J Infect Dis. 1977 Aug:136 Suppl:S118-23. doi: 10.1093/infdis/136.supplement.s118.

Abstract

Further evidence for the role of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli as an etiologic agent of diarrhea is presented. A retrospective study of 71 cases of diarrhea in Mexican children demonstrated that greater than 40% of them harbored E. coli that produced heat-labile and/or heat-stable enterotoxin. The antigenic surface-associated colonization factor of E. coli strain H-10407 has been further characterized: this pilus-like antigen is produced under conditions of growth that repress the production of common pili of E. coli. The E. coli H-10407-type colonization factor pilus has been identified as one of the antigens possessed by a strain of E. coli that produced only heat-stable enterotoxin and that was responsible for an outbreak of pediatric diarrhea.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Antigens, Bacterial*
  • Child
  • Diarrhea / microbiology*
  • Enterotoxins / biosynthesis*
  • Escherichia coli / immunology
  • Escherichia coli / pathogenicity*
  • Escherichia coli / ultrastructure
  • Humans

Substances

  • Antigens, Bacterial
  • Enterotoxins