Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157, Kinshasa

摘要

To the Editor: During the rainyseason, from April to September2003, 463 children ≤15 years of age(median 10 months) with severediarrhea were admitted to thePediatric Hospital of Kalembelembein Kinshasa, the capital of theDemocratic Republic of Congo. Thepopulation of the outbreak area wasapproximately one million.Several children with bloodydiarrhea without fever were treated.They came from six districts ofKinshasa (Bumbu, Selembao,Makala, Kimbanseke, Masina, andNdjili). Abdominal cramps, nausea,vomiting, and dehydration wereuncommon. The duration of illnessranged from 5 days to 2 weeks.Available antiparasitic drugs,trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, andampicillin showed no effect againstthe illness. Fifty-six infants diedbetween June and July. Symptoms ofhemolytic uremic syndrome deve-loped in most of them