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[Prevalence of Aeromonas spp. pediatric gastroenteritis]
M Leblanc1, G Delage, E Rousseau
1Département de Pédiatrie hôpital Sainte-Justine, université de Montréal, PQ.
Insights
Aeromonas species were found in the stools of children with gastroenteritis, particularly bloody diarrhea. This suggests a potential role for Aeromonas in pediatric gastrointestinal illness and associated conditions like ulcerative colitis.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Infectious Diseases
Context:
- Study conducted in Montreal, Canada, in June-July 1986.
- Involved 536 children presenting with gastroenteritis at Sainte-Justine Hospital.
- Focus on identifying Aeromonas species in pediatric stool samples.
Purpose:
- To investigate the prevalence and potential pathogenicity of Aeromonas species in children with gastroenteritis.
- To explore the association between Aeromonas infections and specific clinical manifestations, including bloody diarrhea, ulcerative colitis, and spondylarthritis.
- To assess the role of Aeromonas in human summer diarrhea in temperate climates.
Summary:
- Aeromonas species were detected in 7 out of 536 children with gastroenteritis.
- Six of these children presented with bloody diarrhea; one developed ulcerative colitis.
- One child experienced synovitis and spondylarthritis; two children were co-infected with other enteric pathogens.
Impact:
- Highlights the potential, though not highly marked, pathogenicity of Aeromonas species in pediatric gastroenteritis, especially in summer.
- Suggests a possible link between Aeromonas infections and the development of inflammatory conditions such as ulcerative colitis and spondylarthritis in children.
- Underscores the importance of considering Aeromonas in the differential diagnosis of pediatric diarrheal diseases and associated extra-intestinal manifestations.
Abstract:
A selective medium and biochemical tests were used to search for Aeromonas spp. in the stools of 536 children, more than 90% of whom had "gastroenteritis", seen at Sainte-Justine Hospital, Montreal, in June or July 1986. The organism was found in seven children, six of whom had bloody diarrhea. One of the six, a 6 1/2-year-old boy, required intravenous alimentation and later manifested ulcerative colitis; the other five recovered. The remaining child, a 14-year-old boy, had synovitis of the knee and spondylarthritis. Two of the seven carried other enteric pathogens. The authors discuss the pathogenicity of Aeromonas spp., which is not very marked in temperate climates, in human summer diarrhea and its possible role in the development of ulcerative colitis.