[Infantile diarrhea in Libreville (Gabon). Ecological studies]

The identification of different infectious agents found in infantile diarrheas was undertaken in 237 children hospitalized in pediatric institutions in Libreville. In neonates between 0 and 18 months of age, the most common pathogen was Rotavirus (20.6%), followed by Shigella (10.8%), E. coli (9.24%), Salmonella (3.46%), E. histolytica (0.8%) and Y. enterocolitica (0.4%). The highest percentage of diarrheas caused by rotaviruses was found among children between 6 and 11 months of age. The frequency of Salmonella among children 2 to 4 years of age is almost the same at that in children under 2 years of age (3.44%). Isolation of Shigella in this group reaches 12.06%. The protective effect of breast milk and the carriage state among adults are discussed.