Title: Genetic Phylogeny of Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli isolated in children below five years living in Close Contact with Food animals, Kisumu County
Abstract:
Diarrheagenic E.coli (DEC) are amongst re-emerging bacterial strains linked with diarrhea outbreaks. In Sub-Saharan Africa, it is responsible for 88% of death among under-fives. This study aims to determine the genetic phylogeny of diarrheagenic E. coli among the under-fives living in close contact with food animals in Kisumu County. A cross-sectional study was executed from August to November 2022. Samples from 150 under-five children with diarrhoea and 100 from food domestic animals were collected and processed using culture methods. Molecular identification of pathotypes was completed using primer-specific polymerase chain reaction targeting five virulence genes. (eae, aatA, lt, st, bfpA,) related to six DEC pathotypes (EPEC, ETEC, EHEC, EAEC and EIEC). The antimicrobial susceptibility testing was carried out using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. Colonies from 80 study subjects (60 diarrheic children and 20 diarrheic food animals) were positive for E. coli isolates. Subsequent PCR detection discovered that 54% of children and 68% of the food domestic animlas isolates were positive for one or more virulence genes typical of particular strains. Among those ETEC [(14%), (18%)] is being the maximum predominant, (10%), (6%)] for atypical EPEC, [(5%), (5%)] for EHEC, [(5%), (4%)] for EAEC, and [(5%), (3%)] for EIEC strains in children’s and food domestic animals respectively. ETEC (63%) and EPEC (52.8%) strains showed a better detection rate in children with close contact with food domestic animals than children with no contacts. ETEC was found to be the predominant pathotype among children and contact with food domestic animals in Kisumu County.
Biography:
Redemptah Yeda is a PhD student in Kenya looking forward to graduating in 2023 at 38 years, from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, School of Health Sciences. She is a Research scientsit and a PhD student, The Kenya Medical Research Institute. She is a first author to 3 papers and a co-authro to over 20 papers published in reputed journals.
