EPEC (Enteropathogenic E. coli)
Causative agent of profuse, watery diarrhea/ vomiting, and fever in children under the age of two in underdeveloped countries.
Unknown infectious dose with regards to children.
Fecal-oral transmission....wash your hands!
contamination of formula/bottles, hospital crib linen, toys etc; isolated from dust and aerosols
Resistance increases with age....adult asymptomatic carriers
Treatments: rehydration and antibiotics (increasingly difficult); no vaccine
Volunteer studies (ewww gross!)
EPEC can establish disease if high inocula are given after gastric acid neutralization.
9/10 volunteers became ill when challenged. The one person whom remained well had antibodies to a 94kDa OMP which was later identified as intimin.
11/11 volunteers developed diarrhea when ingesting wild type EPEC. 4/11 volunteers developed diarrhea when ingesting the intimin null mutant EPEC.
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