ESCHERICHIA COLI O157: H7 INVESTIGATION IN CHILDREN WITH DIARRHEA: AN IRAQI CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

E. coli O157:H7 is a strain that produces a toxin known as Shiga, it is considered one of the most potent toxins, and it can cause severe infection. This study aimed to clinically investigate the infection caused by E. coli O157: H7 strain in children. The research was conducted in Iraqi laboratories and hospitals, where fecal samples were taken from children suffering from diarrhea and were investigated via laboratory protocols. The detection of Escherichia coli O157: H7antigen in infected children was 44.2% in males and 55.8% in females, the average age was (17.2 ± 9.6 months) while the uninfected average age was (30.6 ±19.8 months), a significant relation between E. coli O157: H7 infection and bloody diarrhea was noted. Infection with E. coli O157:H7 appears mostly in infants and may cause gastroenteritis irritation and a bloody stool