AMB Volume 42, Issue 2, 2026 Pages 237-246 https://doi.org/10.59393/amb26420208
Prevalence of Shigella, Salmonella, and Pathogenic Escherichia coli among Diarrhoeal Patients in Tangail Region, Bangladesh
Talukder A.H., Mahmud S., Sarker S., Kabir A., Shome B., Jahan N., Islam J., Talukder A.S., Alam N.E., Mohiuddin A.K.M., Talukder K.A.
Diarrhea remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Bangladesh. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of diarrheal pathogens among 430 patients seeking care at Sheikh Hasina Medical College and Hospital, Tangail. Stool samples were analyzed using both conventional microbiological/ biochemical methods and molecular techniques. Template DNA was extracted from overnight cultures in Tripticase Soya Broth and screened for specific virulence genes: lt and st (ETEC); aata and aaic (EAEC); bfpA and eae (EPEC); stx2 (STEC); ipaH (EIEC and Shigella); and invA (Salmonella). Molecular typing revealed a high prevalence of pathogens: 48% (n=207) for pathogenic E. coli, 10.5% (n=45) for Salmonella spp., and 4.6% (n=20) for Shigella spp. Among E. coli pathovars, EAEC and ETEC were the most prevalent (19% each), followed by EPEC (9%) and STEC (1%). Conventional culture methods identified pathogens in 106 samples, confirming 34% E. coli, 8% Salmonella, and 5.6% Shigella. Notably, three Shigella-like organisms (SLOs) were identified, which may represent a novel, yet-to-be-classified serotype. Overall, 63% of patients were infected with a single pathogen, while 9% presented with co-infections. These findings underscore the significant burden of diverse diarrheal pathogens in the region and highlight the superior sensitivity of molecular diagnostics over conventional culture methods for clinical surveillance.
Keywords: Diarrhoea, enteric pathogen, Shigella-like organisms, PCR
View Full Article