Molecular detection of Escherichia coli (E. coli) from Diarrheal stool samples from children in Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan.

Abstract

Diarrhea is one of the major causes of death in children, particularly in developing countries. Rapid detection and treatment is necessary to control disease transmission in the community and thus limiting the huge number of death toll. The major cause of diarrhea in developing countries is Escherichia coli (E. coli).This study was aimed to isolate E. coli from diarrheal stool samples from children aged 05 months to 05 years visited/ hospitalized in Quetta due to acute/persistent diarrhea. Diarrheal stool samples from 200 children were collected from Lady Sandeman Hospital Quetta and cultured on nutrient agar and later transferred to E. coli specific growth media for initial detection. For further confirmation the colonies were subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The PCR results revealed that 44(22%) samples out of 200 samples were positive for E. coli. These results indicate a high proportion of E. coli infection among children suffering with diarrhea.