Investigation of campylobacter spp. and enterohemorrhagic escherishia coli prevalence in diarrheal stools

Aim: In this study, it was aimed to determine microbiological procedures that were used in isolation and identification of Campylobacter spp. and Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli from the stools of the patients with diarrhea which were send to Microbiology Laboratories of Dokuz Eylül University Medical Faculty Hospital and Behçet Uz Education and Investigation Hospital of Children?s Disease. Detection of 16S rRNA and hippuricase genes of Campylobacter spp. and stx-1 and/or stx-2 genes of Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli was also aimed.Method: A total of 775 stool specimens were examined by culture and hippurate hydrolysis during the study period (June 2007- May 2008). Genus and species identification were also confirmed by PCR by determining Campylobacter specific 16 SrRNA and hippuricase genes. Eighty- five Campylobacter jejuni and 12 Campylobacter coli strains which were isolated by phenotypic methods which were confirmed by the molecular methods also. Confirmation of the species identification in 9 hippuricase negative isolates and five hippuricase positive Campylobacter isolates was also performed by using ApiCampy kit. Susceptibilities of the isolates to meropenem, gentamicin, doxycyclin, erythromycin and ciprofloxacin were explored by E-Test method. In the second phase of the study 171 stool specimens which yielded no pathogens except E.coli and which were taken from patients who had applied to the outpatient clinics with a complaint of acute diarrhea that were investigated for the existence of EHEC O157:H7 by stx1/2 PCR.Result: A total of 97 Campylobacter spp were detected by culture and hippurate hydrolysis. The results were confirmed by PCR and API Campy. When antibiotic susceptibilities were studied, no resistance against meropenem had been detected among C. jejuni isolates. The resistance rates for erythromycin, doxycyclin, gentamicin, and ciprofloxacin were 11.8%, 11.8%, 4.7% and 51.8%, respectively. While no resistance against meropenem, gentamicin and doxycyclin had been detected among C. coli isolates, the resistance rates for erythromycin and ciprofloxacin were 17.0% and 50.0%, respectively. Five of 171 E. coli isolates gave agglutination with O:157-H7 antiserum and identified as enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli. All Escherichia coli isolates were investigated for existence of stx-1 and stx-2 genes by PCR method and the stx-1 and/or stx-2 genes were detected in none of the isolates.Conclusion: The ratio of diarrhea related with Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O:157-H7 is low in our region according to our data. The serotypes other than Enterohemorrhagic E. coli O:157-H7 may be the reason of diarrhea in our region. Therefore it will be appropiate to investigate the other serotypes of E. coli. This study confirmed that Campylobacter spp. are important pathogens among bacteria which cause diarrheae and their laboratory diagnosis, prevalance in our region and detection of antimicrobial succeptibility are important.