Related Experiment Videos
Campylobacter jejuni in acute diarrhoea in infancy and its relation to faecal leucocytic count
G O Ahmed1, O M Abdel Hamid, N M Ayoub
1Clinical Pathology Department, Al-Azhar University.
Insights
Campylobacter jejuni infection is a risk for infants with acute or resistant diarrhea. Early screening for fecal leukocytes can help detect this bacterial cause of infant diarrhea.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Campylobacter jejuni is a significant cause of bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide.
- Infant diarrhea poses a substantial public health challenge, particularly in developing regions.
- Identifying specific pathogens is crucial for effective treatment and prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence and relative risk of Campylobacter jejuni infection in infants presenting with acute and resistant diarrhea.
- To compare the occurrence of C. jejuni with other bacterial pathogens in infant diarrhea cases.
- To evaluate the utility of fecal leukocyte detection as an initial screening tool for bacterial diarrhea.
Main Methods:
- A prospective study involving 50 infants with acute diarrhea, 24 with resistant diarrhea, and 25 healthy controls.
- Collection and culture of fecal samples on selective media for Campylobacter and other enteric pathogens.
- Direct stool smear examination for fecal leukocytes using methylene blue staining.
Main Results:
- Campylobacter jejuni was isolated from 8.0% of acute diarrhea cases and 16.6% of resistant diarrhea cases.
- Other identified pathogens included Salmonella, Shigella, E. coli, Proteus mirabilis, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Klebsiella, Streptococcus faecalis, and Candida albicans.
- Fecal leukocytes were detected in 100% of C. jejuni positive cases, indicating high sensitivity for this pathogen.
Conclusions:
- Campylobacter jejuni is an important pathogen in infant diarrhea, especially in bottle-fed infants under six months.
- Fecal leukocyte examination is a valuable rapid screening method for identifying infants who require further microbiological investigation for bacterial pathogens.
- Routine stool culture for C. jejuni should be considered in infants presenting with diarrhea, particularly when fecal leukocytes are present.
Abstract:
A prospective study was carried out to identify the relative risk of Campylobacter jejuni infection in 50 infants with acute diarrhoea, 24 infants with acute resistant diarrhoea and 25 healthy normal infants as a matching control group. Faecal samples were collected from the three groups and were cultured on both selective media for Campylobacter and other media for isolation of other organisms. Direct stool smears, stained with methylene blue, were examined for detection of faecal leucocyte in all samples. Campylobacter jejuni were isolated from 4 cases (8.0%) of the acute diarrhoeal group and 4 cases (16.6%) of acute resistant diarrhoeal group. The other bacterial pathogens isolated from our cases were Salmonella, Shigella, E. Coli, Proteus mirabilis, Vibrio Parahaemolytious Klebsiella, Streptococcus faecalis and Candida albicans. All cases from whom Campylobacter was isolated were bottle fed and their ages were below 6 months. Smears for faecal leucocytes were positive in 100% of Campylobacter isolated cases, 60% of Salmonella, 50% of Shigella, 14% of E. Coli and 100% were negative in all other cases. Thus it can be recommended that any case presenting with acute diarrhoea should be initially screened by faecal leucocytic counting, positive cases should be cultured for Campylobacter jejuni detection in addition to cultures for other organisms detection.