Detection of Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli in Rotavirus-Infected Ghanaian Children Diagnosed with Acute Gastroenteritis

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Diarrhea is a notable global health problem in several developing countries, especially in children. Prior to the introduction of the rotavirus vaccination program in Ghana, a surveillance study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of the disease caused by rotavirus in children. In this report, we re-used archival stool samples from the pre-vaccine surveillance study to provide information on prevalence of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli in Ghanaian children. Re-analysis of the stool samples revealed co-infection of enterotoxigenic E. coli and rotavirus in 2% of the children whose samples were selected for this study. As Ghana is approaching 10 years post-implementation of the rotavirus vaccination program, the preliminary data presented in this report are a vital reference for subsequent studies aimed at ascertaining the effect of the vaccine on both rotavirus and enterotoxigenic E. coli.