Specialist Rafila: Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, serotype 026 , the cause of HUS in Arges infant

Chairman of the Romanian Society of Microbiology Alexandru Rafila on Thursday said that the cause for the recent Arges infants falling ill with the haemolytic-uremic syndrome is Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, serotype 026, which is different from the E-coli usually inhabiting the human intestines. 

"In over 90 percent of the haemolytic-uremic syndrome cases there is a correlation with the presence of this Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli germ that secretes toxins. The enteropathogenic E-coli is the type that generates diarrhoea without toxin secretion. The cause of the haemolytic-uremic syndrome in this case is Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, serotype 026. This E-coli 026 is a different strain from what we usually host in our intestine and that is highly pathogenic because it generates toxins," Rafila told a news conference at the Marie Curie Hospital of Bucharest. 

He ruled out other hypotheses, such as viral infection, rotavirus, vaccination or chemical poisoning. AGERPRES