In the 21st century, diarrhea is still a leading cause of illness and death especially in children in Latin
American countries. ETEC, EHEC, EPEC, and EAEC remain as the major categories of pathogenic E. coli
associated with diarrheal disease; however, it is evident that a shift in the serotypes responsible for human disease
is occurring in this region. Recent reports implicated atypical EPEC as an important emerging category of E. coli
and the association of EHEC O157:H7 as a cause of hemolytic uremic syndrome in Latin America is becoming
evident. Significant improvements are required in the area of early diagnosis to increase the likelihood of an
effective treatment. In this region, very few studies have addressed the emergence of antimicrobial resistance and
high asymptomatic carriage rates for diarrheagenic E. coli (DEC), as well as non-human reservoirs and vehicles
of transmission, are largely unknown. It is evident that broadening the epidemiological surveys to include
emerging and re-emerging categories of DECs while increasing the capabilities of detection and novel treatment
is a priority for the future of the E. coli research in Latin America.