Escherichia coli associated with acute measles and diarrhoea at Kenyatta National Hospital, Kenya.

Three hundred and three children under 5 years old with acute measles and diarrhoea (cases) and 300 other age-matched children with diarrhoea (controls) were examined for enteroadherent E. coli (EAEC) and other agents including rotavirus and Cryptosporidium. EAEC was determined by tissue culture of HEP-2 cells. Other agents were determined by conventional methods. EAEC was identified from both cases and control accounting for 10.3% (31/303) and 15.2% (46/300) respectively. Other bacterial agents were: 10.3% (31/303) from cases and 12.8% (39/300) from controls. A higher detection rate of enteroparasites was found among cases 15% (45/300) than controls 8.9% (27/300) whereas rotavirus was the reverse, 3% (9/303) in cases and 30.3% (92/300) in controls. To our knowledge characterization of EAEC has not been done before and therefore might be attributing factor to some of our unexplained diarrhoeal cases.