Enteropathogens associated with diarrhea among military personnel during Operation Bright Star 96, in Alexandria, Egypt

Mil Med. 1997 Jun;162(6):396-400.

Abstract

This study investigated the microbial causes of diarrheal disease among U.S. troops deployed near Alexandria, Egypt, during October 1995. Bacterial causes associated with 19 cases of diarrhea included: enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), 42% (21% heat-stable, 11% heat-labile, and 11% heat-stable/ heat-labile producers); enteropathogenic E. coli (5.3%); and enteroadherent E. coli (42%). Four cases of diarrhea were associated with enteroaggregative E. coli based on probe analysis for enteroaggregative heat-stable enterotoxin 1. Protozoan causes included; Entamoeba histolytica (11%), E. hartmanni (5%), E. nana (5%), Blastocystis hominis (5%), Chilomastix mesnili (11%), Dientamoeba fragilis (5%), Entamoeba coli (5%), and Cryptosporidium (5%). Shigella, Aeromonas, Plesiomonas, Vibrio, Campylobacter, and Salmonella were not detected. Of the eight ETEC cases, one was colonization factor antigen (CFA)/I only, one was both CFA/I and CFA/III, three were CFA/II, two were CFA/IV, and two were CFA-negative. Antibiograms of the ETEC and enteroadherent E. coli strains showed that all isolates were susceptible to norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin, and nalidixic acid but resistant to ampicillin, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, and sulfamethoxazole.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Ampicillin Resistance
  • Animals
  • Anti-Infective Agents / therapeutic use
  • Antigens, Bacterial / analysis
  • Bacterial Proteins / analysis
  • Blastocystis Infections / diagnosis
  • Blastocystis hominis / isolation & purification
  • Chloramphenicol Resistance
  • Ciprofloxacin / therapeutic use
  • Cryptosporidiosis / diagnosis
  • Diarrhea / microbiology*
  • Diarrhea / parasitology
  • Dientamoebiasis / diagnosis
  • Dysentery, Amebic / diagnosis
  • Egypt
  • Entamoeba / classification
  • Entamoeba histolytica / isolation & purification
  • Escherichia coli / classification
  • Escherichia coli / immunology
  • Escherichia coli Infections / diagnosis
  • Eukaryota
  • Fimbriae Proteins*
  • Humans
  • Military Personnel*
  • Nalidixic Acid / therapeutic use
  • Norfloxacin / therapeutic use
  • Pili, Sex / immunology
  • Protozoan Infections / diagnosis
  • Tetracycline Resistance
  • United States

Substances

  • Anti-Infective Agents
  • Antigens, Bacterial
  • Bacterial Proteins
  • colonization factor antigens
  • Fimbriae Proteins
  • Nalidixic Acid
  • Ciprofloxacin
  • Norfloxacin