Screening for enteropathogenic Escherichia coli

Abstract In an attempt to identify the prevalence of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) carriage and to minimize the chances of admitting a baby to the neonatal wards with unsuspected EPEC infection, 27,174 maternity patients admitted in labour and 4049 neonates admitted to the Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) were screened for intestinal carriage of common EPEC serotypes. Two hundred and sixty-five (1%) maternity patients were positive, of whom 8 (3%) had diarrhoea. Of the babies born to these mothers, 10 (3·8%) were infected with EPEC and in each the serotype was the same as the mother's. Nine neonates (0·2%) admitted to the SCBU were also found to be infected with EPEC. Seven of the 19 babies (37%) had diarrhoea. Symptomatic mothers or babies were nursed in isolation. During the 8 year period under study no incidents of cross-infection with EPEC occurred.