Emerging Infectious Diseases (Apr 2000)

Bacteroides fragilis Enterotoxin Gene Sequences in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

  • Thomas P. Prindiville,
  • Rafik A. Sheikh,
  • Stuart H. Cohen,
  • Yajarayma J. Tang,
  • Mary C. Cantrell,
  • Joseph Silva

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3201/eid0602.000210
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 6, no. 2
pp. 171 – 174

Abstract

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We identified enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis in stool specimens of patients with inflammatory bowel disease and other gastrointestinal disorders. The organism was detected in 11 (13.2%) of 83 patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Of 57 patients with active disease, 19.3% were toxin positive; none of those with inactive disease had specimens positive for enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis gene sequences.

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