Clinical features of enteropathogenic escherichiosis in young children

Enteropathogenic escherichiosis (ЕРЕС) remains to date one of the common causes of the development of gastrointestinal pathology in young children and, depending on the serovar, ЕРЕС can be severe with the development of urgent conditions threatening the patient's life. The purpose of the study: to establish the clinical features of enteropathogenic escherichiosis (ЕРЕС) in young children, depending on the severity of the disease. Materials and methods : the analysis of clinical and laboratory data of 105 cases of ЕРЕС in young children treated at the Regional Infectious Diseases Clinical Hospital named after A.M. Nichoga in Astrakhan during 2013—2023 was carried out. The results: According to the results of our study, it was found that the disease was more often caused by serovars ЕРЕС O111 (59%), O55 (32,4%). Mild and moderate forms of ЕРЕС were 74,3%. Severe forms of HERES (25,7%) are characterized by: acute onset, prolonged (7,9 ± 0,4 days) febrile fever (66,7%); repeated vomiting (91,3%), diarrhea for 9,9 ± 1,8 days with a stool frequency of more than 10 times a day (59.3%) of an abundant, watery nature (96.3%), dehydration of II—III degree (88,9%), the presence of intestinal dysbiosis (96%). In 45,7% of children, ЕРЕС occurred in a moderate form, characterized by subfebrile fever (93.7%) for 5.8 ± 0,9 days, vomiting for 2—3 days (85,4%), watery diarrhea up to 10 times a day (68,7%) lasting 5,9 ± 0,8 days, dehydration of I—II degree (85,4%), intestinal dysbiosis (52%). The difference between mild forms of ЕРЕС (28,6%) was the absence of fever (70%), vomiting (60%), dehydration (100%), and the presence of intestinal dysbiosis in only 16% of children. The nature of the fever, the frequency of vomiting, at the beginning of the disease and subsequently, allows us to judge the severity of the disease, its possible duration, and the effectiveness of treatment. An increase in body temperature to febrile figures, on the 2rd—4th day of the disease, indicates the development of a severe form of ЕРЕС.