Enterotoxigenic E.coli (ETEC)
This assay is only available as part of a panel and cannot be ordered individually.
Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is another diarrhea-causing E. coli that is considered a major cause of traveler’s diarrhea in adults in industrialized countries and a leading cause of infant diarrhea in developing countries.1-3 ETEC is estimated to cause 200 million episodes of diarrhea and approximately 380,000 deaths in children in the developing world and travelers to those areas.4 In the U.S., ETEC is estimated to cause approximately 17,800 foodborne illnesses annually.5 Enterotoxins produced by ETEC strains include heat-labile LT toxin and heat-stable ST toxin.3,6 ETEC illnesses are usually associated with acute watery diarrhea and sometimes nausea, headache, vomiting or fever.7
References
1. Antikainen J, Tarkka E, Haukka K, et al. New 16-plex PCR method for rapid detection of diarrheagenic Escherichia coli directly from stool samples. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. 2009 Aug:28(8): 899-908.
2. Shah N, DuPont HL, Ramsey DJ. Global etiology of travelers' diarrhea: systematic review from 1973 to the present. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2009 Apr:80(4): 609-14.
3. Navaneetham U, Giannella RA. Mechanisms of infectious diarrhea. Nat Clin Pract Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2008 Nov:5(11):637-47.
4. Isidean SD, Riddle MS, Savarino SJ, Porter CK. A systematic review of ETEC epidemiology focusing on colonization factor and toxin expression. Vaccine. 2011 Aug:29(37):6167-78.
5. Scallan E, Hoekstra RM, Angula FJ, et al. Foodborne illness acquired in the United States--major pathogens. Emerg Infect Dis. 2011 Jan:17(1):7-15.
6. Nataro JP, Kaper JB. Diarrheagenic Escherichia coli. Clin Microbiol Rev. 1998 Jan:11(1):142-201.
7. Dubreuil JD. The whole shebang: the gastrointestinal tract, Escherichia coli enterotoxins and secretion. Curr Issues Mol Biol. 2012:14(2):71-82.
Specimens are approved for testing in New York only when indicated in the Specimen Information field above.
The CPT codes provided are based on Viracor Eurofins' interpretation of the American Medical Association's Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes and are provided for general informational purposes only. CPT coding is the sole responsibility of the billing party. Questions regarding coding should be addressed to your local Medicare carrier. Viracor Eurofins assumes no responsibility for billing errors due to reliance on the CPT codes illustrated in this material.