Escherichia coli diarrhea.

E. coli diarrheal disease is becoming ever more complicated as more and more pathogenic mechanisms are identified. E. coli strains remain the major causes of infectious diarrhea worldwide. Presumptive diagnosis based on clinical and laboratory criteria is practical for strains known to be important in the United States. Specific diagnosis is not currently feasible outside of research centers. Therapy, when indicated, shortens the duration of illness. Research is proceeding rapidly at the molecular level and may lead to new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in the near future.