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Enteropathogens and Gut Inflammation in Asymptomatic Infants and Children in Different Environments in Southern India

Ira Praharaj1, R Revathy1, Rini Bandyopadhyay1

  • 1Wellcome Trust Research Laboratory, Division of Gastrointestinal Sciences, Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India.

The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
|December 13, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Children in poor Indian neighborhoods face higher risks of gut infections from enteropathogens compared to those on a medical campus. This highlights environmental disparities in childhood disease exposure.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Health
  • Pediatric Infectious Diseases
  • Gastroenterology

Background:

  • Enteric pathogens pose significant risks to children in developing countries.
  • Environmental conditions influence pathogen exposure, yet community-level differences are understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate enteropathogen carriage and gut inflammation biomarkers in children from distinct environments within the same Indian town.
  • To compare pathogen exposure and inflammation levels between a poor semi-urban neighborhood and a medical college campus.

Main Methods:

  • Fecal samples were collected from healthy infants and children in two contrasting settings.
  • Enteropathogens and biomarkers of gut inflammation were analyzed.
  • Statistical comparisons were made between the two groups.

Main Results:

  • A higher prevalence (93%) of enteropathogen carriage was observed in the poor neighborhood compared to the medical campus (71.7%).
  • Children in the poor neighborhood carried a higher average number of enteropathogens (3.3) versus the campus group (1.4).
  • Viral (enteroviruses, adenoviruses) and bacterial (Campylobacter spp., diarrhegenic E. coli) infections, along with fecal inflammatory markers, were elevated in the poor neighborhood.

Conclusions:

  • Significant environmental disparities exist in asymptomatic gut enteropathogen carriage among children in the same town.
  • Findings underscore the impact of socioeconomic and environmental factors on childhood enteric infections and gut health.

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