Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli infection

The enteropathogenic Escherichia coli infection referred to here is an intestinal infectious disease caused by Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC). EPEC is a group of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli recognized as early as the 1940s. From the 1950s to the 1960s, it was the main pathogen of epidemic infantile diarrhea, clinically referred to as "indigestion." In 1983, the National Symposium on Diarrhea Experience Exchange decided that diarrhea caused by EPEC should be uniformly called EPEC enteritis, rather than "indigestion." The incubation period of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli infection is generally 2-5 days. Onset is generally slow, but can also be acute. There are predisposing factors such as improper diet and inappropriate addition of complementary foods. Mild cases have no fever, with diarrhea as the main symptom, 3-5 times a day, with yellow, egg-custard-like stools containing milk curds, in large amounts. As the condition progresses, fever, vomiting, anorexia, abdominal distension, and toxic intestinal paralysis may occur. Before intestinal paralysis occurs, diarrhea worsens, and mucoid bloody stools may appear. Adult patients often have acute onset, with dull pain around the umbilicus, borborygmus, and occasional tenesmus, presenting as "dysentery-like." Corresponding treatment should adopt comprehensive measures such as antibacterial and anti-inflammatory therapy, controlling diarrhea, and correcting dehydration and acidosis. Although the fatality rate is not high, this disease still carries certain risks, so it should be taken seriously.