Introduction Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (DEC) are enteric pathogens responsible for diarrhea in children. The aim of this study was to assess the genetic diversity of DEC in children under five years of age in Koula-Moutou, a topic that has not been previously investigated in Gabon. Methods A total of 41 DEC strains, previously isolated and characterized, were included in this study. Genetic diversity was assessed using the Enterobacterial Repetitive Intergenic Consensus-Polymerase Chain Reaction (ERIC-PCR) method. Results The ERIC-PCR method enabled typing of 34 out of the 41 DEC isolates. These 34 strains were differentiated into 27 distinct ERIC-PCR genetic profiles, with fingerprints consisting of 1 to 6 bands ranging in size from 250 to 1700 bp. The profiles were grouped into 10 clusters with 90% similarity, each cluster containing between 1 and 7 strains. The DEC isolates from children exhibited diverse genetic profiles, indicating a high degree of genotypic polymorphism. Discussion 27 different and repeated genetic profiles revealed, suggesting a great diversity of circulating clones, which present different resistance profiles, and which may make the treatment ineffective or inappropriate, reflecting the genetic evolution of DEC in this region of Gabon. Conclusion ERIC-PCR is a simple and rapid method for assessing the genetic diversity of DEC. This study revealed significant genetic variation among DEC strains and demonstrated that ERIC-PCR is a valuable tool for epidemiological surveillance and health-related research.
Yala et al. (Wed,) studied this question.