Analysis on etiology and antibiotic resistance of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli in children with diarrhea in a hospital in Guilin City

QIN Wenzhen; LIU Zhibing; YE Yanzhen; LIANG Yong; MA Li; TANG Guorong

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1674-3806.2025.05.18

Abstract：Objective To analyze the etiology and antibiotic resistance profile of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli(DEC)in children with diarrhea in a hospital in Guilin City.Methods A total of 793 fresh fecal specimens from diarrhea children aged 0-14 years who were treated in the Children's Outpatient Department of Guilin Maternal and Child Health Hospital from January 2022 to December 2023 were collected for isolation and culture of Escherichia coli.The virulence genes of the bacterial strains were detected by using polymerase chain reaction(PCR)to determine different pathogenic types of DEC.The sensitivity of the bacterial strains to 19 kinds of antibiotics in 10 categories was determined by using the broth microdilution method.Results DEC was detected in 49 fecal specimens of the 793 fecal specimens(6.18％).Among the different pathogenic types of DEC,enteroaggregative Escherichia coli(EAEC)had the highest proportion(24 cases,48.98％),followed by enteropathogenic Escherichia coli(EPEC)(23 cases,46.94％).One case of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli or Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli(EHEC/STEC)carrying stx2f gene and one case of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli(ETEC)carrying both stIa and stIb genes were detected.No enteroinvasive Escherichia coli(EIEC)was detected.The results of drug sensitivity test of 49 cases of DEC showed that the drug with the highest resistance rate was ampicillin(59.18％),followed by cefazolin(36.73％).All the strains were sensitive to meropenem,tigecycline,amikacin and colistin and 40.82％of the strains were resistant to more than three categories of the antibiotics.Conclusion DEC is one of the main pathogenic bacteria causing diarrhea in children in Guilin City,and among the different pathogenic types of DEC,EAEC and EPEC are predominant.The drug resistance rates of the strains are relatively high,and the rational use of antibiotics should be emphasized in clinical practice.