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[Pathogenic agents in acute non-enterocolic diarrheal syndrome]
Insights
Rotavirus was the most common cause of acute infant diarrhea, identified in over half of cases. Bacterial and parasitic infections were also frequent, with multiple pathogens found in nearly a third of infants.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
- Microbiology
Context:
- Acute diarrhea is a leading cause of infant morbidity worldwide.
- Identifying causative agents is crucial for effective treatment and prevention strategies.
- This study investigated pathogens in infants with non-enterocolic acute diarrhea.
Purpose:
- To determine the prevalence of various enteropathogens in infants presenting with acute diarrhea.
- To identify the most frequent etiological agents responsible for non-enterocolic acute diarrhea in this cohort.
- To analyze the co-occurrence of multiple pathogens in affected infants.
Summary:
- Rotavirus was the predominant pathogen, detected in 57.8% of cases.
- Enteropathogenic bacteria, including various *Escherichia coli* strains, *Shigella*, *Campylobacter*, and *Salmonella*, were identified in 40.2% of patients, with higher incidence in summer.
- Enteroparasites, primarily *Entamoeba histolytica*, were found in 13.1% of infants.
- Mixed infections involving more than one pathogen were observed in 32.8% of the cases.
Impact:
- Findings highlight the significant role of rotavirus in infant diarrhea, underscoring the importance of vaccination.
- The study identifies key bacterial and parasitic agents, informing diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.
- Understanding pathogen prevalence and co-infections aids in developing targeted public health interventions for pediatric gastroenteritis.
Abstract:
Along a one year period 112 infants admitted with non enterocolic acute diarrhea were studied for isolation of potentially ethiologic agents, namely enteropathogenic bacteria (Salmonella, Shigella, Campylobacter, classic enteropathogenic, enteroinvasive and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli), Rotavirus (viral RNA electrophoresis) and enteroparasites (Telemann and PAFS). The most frequently identified pathogen was rotavirus (57.8%), followed by thermo labile toxin producing Escherichia coli (19.7%). The frequency of classic enteropathogenic Escherichia coli was 13.9%, that of thermo stable toxin producing Escherichia coli 5.7%, Shigella 4.1%, Campylobacter 3.3% and Salmonella 1.6%. Bacteriae were isolated from 40.2%, of patients, predominantly in summer. Enteroparasites were detected in 13.1% of the cases, Entamoeba histolytica being the most frequent. In 32.8% of the cases more than one pathogen was isolated.