Vaccines for enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli: current status

摘要

Although new vaccines are being developed to improve rmmunogenicity over that of the heat-killed vaccine, the current strategy for antigen inclusion has been challenged and new, common antigens may have to be defined to achieve the goal of an effective vaccine against ETEC.Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (E 1 EC) continue to be frequently associated with childhood diarrhea in the developing world [1*,2] and among travelers [3] and military personnel. ETEG are often the most common pathogens isolated in these settings. However, in travelers to Mexico [3] and in children in Brazil [1,4], Gabon [5], and Thailand [6], enteroaggregative E. coli now appear to be equally important pathogens, colonizing longer than ETEC and causing disease of longer duration. ETEC are still the most frequent pathogens associated with water-borne diarrheal disease outbreaks in travelers on cruise ships [7",8]. Some of these are of new serotypes such as O169:H41 [9].