Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli

From WikiMD.com - Food, Medicine & Wellness Encyclopedia

Dr.Prab.jpg

Editor-In-Chief: Prab R Tumpati, MD
Obesity, Sleep & Internal medicine
Founder, WikiMD Wellnesspedia &
W8MD medical weight loss NYC and sleep center NYC

Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli
EAEC Prager etal.jpg
Synonyms EAEC
Pronounce N/A
Specialty N/A
Symptoms Diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting
Complications Dehydration, malnutrition
Onset 1-3 days after exposure
Duration 3-10 days
Types N/A
Causes Escherichia coli infection
Risks Poor sanitation, contaminated food or water
Diagnosis Stool culture, PCR testing
Differential diagnosis Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, Shigella, Salmonella
Prevention Proper sanitation, safe food handling
Treatment Rehydration therapy, antibiotics in severe cases
Medication Ciprofloxacin, Azithromycin
Prognosis Generally good with treatment
Frequency Common in developing countries
Deaths Rare


Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC or EAggEC) is a distinct pathotype of the bacterium Escherichia coli (E. coli) that is associated with both acute and chronic diarrhea in individuals from both the developed and developing world. EAEC is recognized for its characteristic adherence pattern and the damage it causes to the intestinal mucosa.

Characteristics[edit | edit source]

EAEC is defined by its unique stacked-brick pattern of adhesion to HEp-2 cells, which are derived from a human laryngeal epithelial carcinoma cell line. This pattern is observed in vitro and is used as a diagnostic criterion for identifying this pathotype.

Pathogenesis[edit | edit source]

The disease process of EAEC involves:

Clinical Significance[edit | edit source]

EAEC has been implicated in a wide range of diarrheal illnesses, including:

  • Persistent diarrhea in children
  • Traveler‚Äôs diarrhea
  • Diarrhea in immunocompromised individuals, such as patients with HIV/AIDS

It is also a known contributor to malnutrition in young children due to chronic gastrointestinal inflammation and nutrient loss.

Diagnosis[edit | edit source]

Diagnosis of EAEC may involve:

  • Stool culture followed by adherence assays using HEp-2 or HeLa cells.
  • Molecular methods such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect EAEC-specific genes (e.g., aggR, aaiC).

Treatment[edit | edit source]

Management generally includes:

See also[edit | edit source]

WikiMD
Navigation: Wellness - Encyclopedia - Health topics - Disease Index‏‎ - Drugs - World Directory - Gray's Anatomy - Keto diet - Recipes

Search WikiMD

Ad.Tired of being Overweight? Try W8MD's physician weight loss program.
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro / Zepbound) available.
Advertise on WikiMD

WikiMD's Wellness Encyclopedia

Let Food Be Thy Medicine
Medicine Thy Food - Hippocrates

Medical Disclaimer: WikiMD is not a substitute for professional medical advice. The information on WikiMD is provided as an information resource only, may be incorrect, outdated or misleading, and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. Please consult your health care provider before making any healthcare decisions or for guidance about a specific medical condition. WikiMD expressly disclaims responsibility, and shall have no liability, for any damages, loss, injury, or liability whatsoever suffered as a result of your reliance on the information contained in this site. By visiting this site you agree to the foregoing terms and conditions, which may from time to time be changed or supplemented by WikiMD. If you do not agree to the foregoing terms and conditions, you should not enter or use this site. See full disclaimer.
Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates, categories Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.

Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD