Studies into the incidence of carriers of enteropathogenic E. coli.

Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) is frequently found in asymptomatic carriers. When checked over a period of two and a half months at fortnightly intervals, nine out of 20 children at a child care centre in Jamaica showed EPEC of three different serotypes in faecal smears. Four stool specimens were found to be positive in another 45 children, controlled routinely on admission to a district hospital in Jamica. None of either group had diarrhoea at the time of collection. These results confirm that serotypes should not be equated with pathogenicity. Also, current methods of detecting enterotoxin are too time-consuming and impractical for non-specialized laboratories. The place of antibiotics in EPEC diarrhoea is criticized. Initial control measures should centre on fluid and electrolyte replacement irrespective of the aetiology of the diarrhoea.