Abstract: OBJECTIVE To understand the prevalence of infections caused by 5 species of diarrheagenic E. coli: enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), enterotoxic E. coli (ETEC), enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC), enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC), enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC) in Jiangyin from 2015 to 2016 and observe the virulence genes in the strains. METHODS Real-time fluorescence quantification PCR was performed to detect the infectious diarrhea samples that were obtained from sentry hospitals during 2015-2016 so as to determine the pathogenic types and the virulence genes. RESULTS Among the 359 cases of diarrhea specimens, 31 were detected with diarrheagenic E. coli, with the isolation rate 8.64%, 15 (4.18%) of which were EAEC, 13 (3.62%) were EPEC, 3 (0.84%) were ETEC, while, neither EIEC nor EHEC were detected. Of the 15 strains of EAEC, 8 carried with astA gene,6 carried with aggR+pic genes,and 1 carried with astA+aggR+pic genes. All of the 13 strains of EPEC carried with eae genes, and 3 strains of ETEC carried with estI gene. The diarrheagenic E. coli was highly prevalent in summer and autumn, the EPEC was dominant in 2015, and EAEC was dominant in 2016. CONCLUSION The EAEC and EPEC are dominant among the diarrheagenic E. coli in Jiangyin, the virulence genes that are carried by the strains show polymorphism, indicating that the pathogenicity and invasion are diversified and complex, and it is necessary to strengthen the surveillance.