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Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli: Traveler's Diarrhea Comes Home

ETEC is the most common cause of traveler's diarrhea, which is often related to travel to developing countries (commonly referred to as “Montezuma's revenge,” “Bali belly,” “Tijuana trot,” and “Turista”). Recent data, however, suggest that Americans no longer have to travel to developing countries to become exposed to this toxin-mediated, cholera-like infection...

Food sources reported for ETEC-related diarrhea include fresh fruits and vegetables (especially lettuce), parsley, basil, scallops, shrimp, crab meat, tuna paste, prepared salads, and soft cheeses… ETEC is uncommonly found in meat products.

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Featured

 One small step for ETEC vaccines, one giant leap for diarrhea prevention

It may not be as significant as the moon landing, but we are feeling a bit like Neil Armstrong during those first steps. This week, exciting results from a clinical trial of an oral vaccine candidate designed to protect against one of the most common bacterial causes of severe diarrhea (enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli or ETEC).

Articles of Interest

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli in Developing Countries: Epidemiology, Microbiology, Clinical Features, Treatment, and Prevention

ETEC is an underrecognized but extremely important cause of diarrhea in the developing world where there is inadequate clean water and poor sanitation. It is the most frequent bacterial cause of diarrhea in children and adults living in these areas and also the most common cause of traveler's diarrhea. ETEC diarrhea is most frequently seen in children, suggesting that a protective immune response occurs with age.

Scientists Discover Why Some Bacteria Turn Bad, Causing “Traveler’s Diarrhea”

Every year, millions of people have vacations and business trips ruined when they succumb to "traveler's diarrhea" during their journeys. A major cause of traveler's diarrhea is bacteria called Enterotoxigenic E. coli, or ETEC.

Traveler's Diarrhea

Nowadays, TD remains clearly the most frequent or at least a frequent health problem among individuals originating in high-income areas of the world with destinations in lower- and middle-income countries - Robert Steffen, MD

Resources

CDC

Escherichia coli is a bacterium that normally lives in the intestines of humans and other animals. Most types of E. coli are harmless, but some can cause disease. Disease-causing E. coli are grouped according to the different ways by which they cause illness. Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, or ETEC, is the name given to a group of E. coli that produce special toxins which stimulate the lining of the intestines causing them to secrete excessive fluid, thus producing diarrhea. The toxins and the diseases that ETEC causes are not related to E. coli O157:H7.

Microbe Notes

The illness usually lasts 3-4 days. Some infections may take a week or longer to resolve. Most patients recover with supportive measures alone and do not require hospitalization or antibiotics.

Scandinavian Biopharma

Escherichia coli is a bacterium that normally lives in the intestines of humans and other animals. Most types of E. coli are harmless, but some can cause disease. ETEC bacteria is a group of E. coli which have the ability to colonise the small intestine via colonisation factors.

WHO

While diarrhoeal mortality rates for ETEC are declining due to improvements in economic development and availability of safe water and sanitation, these reductions have not been paralleled by significant declines in diarrhoea-associated morbidity, which continues to impact negatively on infant and child health in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).