Potential Pathogenicity of Escherichia coli Isolated from the Stools of Healthy Children Suffering from Diarrhea Admitted to Hospitals in Southern Benin
Durand Dah-Nouvlessounon
Laboratory of Biology and Molecular Typing in Microbiology, Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University of Abomey-Calavi, Benin.
Haziz Sina *
Laboratory of Biology and Molecular Typing in Microbiology, Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University of Abomey-Calavi, Benin.
Annatou Yakoubou
Pediatric Unit, Hospital and University Center for Mothers and Children Lagune (CHU-MEL) of Cotonou, Benin.
Bawa Boya
Laboratory of Biology and Molecular Typing in Microbiology, Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University of Abomey-Calavi, Benin.
Scylax Azatassou
Laboratory of Biology and Molecular Typing in Microbiology, Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University of Abomey-Calavi, Benin.
Christine N’tcha
Laboratory of Biology and Molecular Typing in Microbiology, Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University of Abomey-Calavi, Benin.
Agossou Damien Pacôme Noumavo
Laboratory of Microbiology and Food Technology, Department of Plant Biology, Cotonou, University of Abomey-Calavi, Benin.
Funkè F. Assouma
Laboratory of Biology and Molecular Typing in Microbiology, Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University of Abomey-Calavi, Benin.
Adolphe Adjanohoun
National Agronomic Research Institute of Benin, 01 BP 884 Cotonou, Republic of Benin.
Lamine Baba-Moussa
Laboratory of Biology and Molecular Typing in Microbiology, Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University of Abomey-Calavi, Benin.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Aims: Infant mortality linked to infectious diseases remains a major public health concern, especially in the context of antibiotic resistance. This work aimed to study the potential pathogenicity of Escherichia coli strains isolated from the stools of children suffering from diarrhea and healthy from 0 to 15 years old admitted to hospitals in southern Benin.
Methodology: The isolation and characterization of the strains were carried out according to standard microbiology methods. Molecular characterization was carried out by searching for eight virulence factors (Stx1, Stx2, eaeA, bfpB, LT, InVE, IpaH, AggR) and three antibiotic resistance genes (blaTEM, blaSHV, blaCTX -M) by the PCR technique.
Results: This study shows that 47.06% of the children sampled suffered from diarrhea, against 52.94% who were healthy. A total of 9 species of Enterobacteriaceae were identified in different proportions: Escherichia coli (66.66%), Klebsiella ornithinolytica (13.72%), Klebsiella pneumonia (5.88%), Enterobacter aerogenes (3.92%), Escherichia vulneris (1.96%), Salmonella arizonae (1.96%), Salmonella spp (1.96%), Enterobacter sakazakii (1.96%), Serratia fonticola (1.96%). All E. coli showed total resistance to amoxicillin, ceftazidime, and cefotaxime. In addition, they showed variable resistance to norfloxacin (95.33%), trimethoprim (83.33%), and sulfamethoxazole (95.24%). 70.83% of E. coli strains isolated from apparently healthy children carry resistance genes blaTEM (12.5%), blaSHV (25%), and blaCTX-M (33.33%). While 66.67% of strains of E. coli isolated from children with diarrhea carry resistance genes blaTEM (12.5%), blaSHV (37.5%), and blaCTX-M (16.67%). Only EPEC was isolated and only in diarrheal children, with a frequency of 20.83%.
Conclusion: The relatively high prevalence of ECD in this study is remarkable, and it highlights the fact that E. coli is an important agent of infectious diarrhea and could be the leading cause of gastroenteritis in Benin.
Keywords: Pathogenic E. coli, antimicrobial resistance, molecular characterization, southern Benin