Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli Food-Borne Disease Outbreaks in Yazd Province of Iran during 2012-2016

Background: Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is one of the most important agents of travelers’ diarrheal diseases in the developing countries. The main purpose of this study was to determine the association of ETEC outbreaks with climatic and demographic variables in Yazd province of Iran. Methods: This study was done on 729 food-borne disease rectal swab samples, which gathered during 48 ETEC outbreaks in Yazd province from 2012 to 2016. The isolates were identified by biochemical tests, serotyping, and heat labile enterotoxin assays in Vero cell line culture. The climatic data was gathered from Iran’s Meteorological Organization and Yazd synoptic stations. Data were analyzed by Stata statistical software. Results: The rates of ETEC outbreaks in Ashkezar, Mehriz, and Taft were significantly (p