AI Article Synopsis
- Traveller's diarrhea (TD) is a major health concern for travelers, prompting a study to evaluate a multiplex-PCR method for identifying its pathogens.
- The study involved 91 travelers, comparing stool samples from 61 TD cases and 30 asymptomatic controls, revealing that TD cases were more likely to test positive for certain pathogens.
- Findings highlighted that enteropathogenic and enterotoxigenic E. coli were significantly associated with TD, suggesting that relying on extensive multiplex-testing might not be necessary since only a few pathogens are relevant.
Article Abstract
Background: Traveller's diarrhea (TD) is the leading cause of morbidity among travelers. Recently, molecular methods have been developed to detect the causative pathogens of TD. The aim of this study was to test a multiplex-PCR approach in patients with TD and asymptomatic controls.
Methods: In total, 91 travelers (61 TD cases, 30 asymptomatic controls) prospectively collected stool samples during travel and documented gastrointestinal symptoms. Samples were analyzed using the BioFire® FilmArray® Gastrointestinal Panel, which covers 13 enteric bacteria (e.g. diarrheagenic Escherichia coli), 4 protozoan parasites and 5 viruses.
Results: TD cases had more likely a positive test (46/61, 75%) compared to controls (17/30, 57%, p = 0.07). The most common enteric pathogens were enteroaggregative E. coli (36/91, 40%), followed by enterotoxigenic E. coli (31/91, 34%) and enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC, 29/91, 32%). The only pathogens significantly associated with TD were EPEC (p = 0.01) and ETEC (p = 0.047). Protozoan parasites were not detected.
Conclusion: Our results challenge the widespread use of multiplex-approaches covering numerous enteric pathogens in the diagnostic workup of TD because only few (i.e. diarrheagenic E. coli) were related to symptoms of TD.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tmaid.2020.101696 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!