[Evaluation of Hucker stain as Campylobacter sp screening detection during an acute diarrhea disease]

Area of Science:

• Medical Microbiology
• Infectious Diseases
• Public Health

Background:

• Campylobacter infection is a leading cause of gastroenteritis globally and a significant concern in Chile.
• Routine Campylobacter culture is often cost-prohibitive, necessitating alternative screening methods.
• The Hucker stain is considered a potential cost-effective screening alternative for Campylobacter.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the diagnostic utility of the Hucker stain for Campylobacter detection in stool samples.
• To estimate the prevalence of Campylobacter and other enteropathogens in the studied population.
• To assess the Hucker stain's effectiveness as a screening tool in resource-limited settings.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective analysis of 5,750 stool samples examined using both conventional stool culture and Hucker stain.
• Validation of the Hucker stain against Campylobacter culture over a one-month period, yielding 35% sensitivity and 100% specificity.
• Identification and quantification of other isolated enteropathogens, including Salmonella, Shigella, E. coli, and Yersinia.

Main Results:

• The Hucker stain identified curved bacilli suggestive of Campylobacter in 2% (115/5,750) of samples.
• An additional 4% (233) of samples yielded other enteropathogens, with Salmonella being the most common.
• Campylobacter was the second most frequent pathogen identified, primarily in children under 5 years old (62.2%), especially infants (63.8%).

Conclusions:

• The Hucker stain is a simple, specific, but not highly sensitive method for screening enteric pathogens.
• Utilizing the Hucker stain can increase the diagnostic yield of enteric pathogens by 33%.
• Active surveillance for Campylobacter through culture is crucial for accurate diagnosis of acute diarrhea, especially in pediatric populations.