1887

Abstract

Faecal specimens from 843 cases of diarrhoea in the community were tested for the presence of cytotoxin and enterotoxin. . cytotoxin was detected in faecal specimens from 0.6 % of cases aged at least 2 years by using a Vero cell assay. Factors associated with detection of . cytotoxin were antibiotic therapy, age over 60 years and living in a home with other elderly people. Three methods were used for the detection of . enterotoxin: a Vero cell assay, a commercial (TechLab) enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and an in-house EIA. The lower level of detection of pure enterotoxin in buffer was 0.01 μg ml by the TechLab EIA and 1.0 μg ml by the Vero cell assay. enterotoxin was detected by using the TechLab EIA in faecal specimens from 2.5 % of cases. This commercial EIA was less sensitive than the in-house EIA, detecting only 31 % of positive cases, but was specific and could be used for outbreak investigation by routine diagnostic laboratories. Age over 60 years was a factor associated with enterotoxin detection; this age group may be targeted for testing.

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2003-09-01
2024-03-29
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