Molecular Characterization of Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli from Tiruchirappalli District, Tamilnadu, India

Although part of the normal gut flora, Escherichia coli strains are also important intestinal pathogens. Diarrheagenic E. coli (DEC) cause a wide variety of gastrointestinal diseases, particularly among children in developing countries, resulting in significant morbidity and mortality (Moyo, 2007; Khairun, 2007; Brandal, 2007; Nguyen, 2005; Rajendran, 2010; Franzolin, 2005). The DEC are differentiated into at least five pathotypes, according to their pathogenic mechanisms, that include enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC), entero-pathogenic E. coli (EPEC), enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC), enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC), and enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) (also known as Shiga-toxin producing E. coli or verocytotoxigenic E. coli)(Natoro, 2005; Adachi, 2002).