[Rotavirus in children with severe malnutrition]

The study comprised 19 children with severe protein-calorie malnutrition admitted to Hospital Nacional de Niños. With one exception, all of the patients complained of diarrhea at the examination. Samples of stools were collected for bacteriologic, parasitologic and virologic studies. Rotavirus was shown in 4 cases and adenovirus in another 4. Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli, Shigella and Salmonella were isolated in 9 different children. It was possible to demonstrate at least one potentially pathogenic agent in 84% of the total number of cases. In malnourished infants under one year of age, the index of positiveness was 100%. It is set forth that infection is the most important factor in the etiology of diarrhea of the malnourished infant.