Impact of Asymptomatic Enteroaggregative <i>Escherichia coli</i> Infection and Co-Pathogen Burden on Intestinal Barrier Function, Linear Growth, and Cognitive Development in Early Childhood: Insights from a Birth Cohort Study

ABSTRACT Introduction Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) is a major enteric pathogen in low-resource settings and can infect children with or without causing diarrhea. However, limited data exists on the impact of subclinical EAEC infections, particularly when co-detected with other pathogens. This study aimed to evaluate socioeconomic risk factors and the effects of subclinical EAEC infection—alone or in combination with other pathogens—on intestinal barrier function, enteric inflammation, linear growth, and cognitive development in children aged 0–24 months, using quantitative molecular diagnostics. Methods We analyzed 1,618 non-diarrheal samples from children enrolled in eight sites of the MAL-ED birth cohort. A quantitative PCR-based TaqMan Array Card was used to detect 29 enteropathogens. Children were categorized by infection status: EAEC alone, or EAEC with…