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Campylobacter enteritis is common in young children, with diarrhea and fever as primary symptoms. C. jejuni strains showed high sensitivity to several antibiotics, including erythromycin.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Microbiology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Acute enteritis in infants and children is a significant health concern.
- Bacteriological examinations are crucial for identifying causative agents of pediatric enteritis.
Observation:
- Campylobacter jejuni was the most frequently isolated pathogen (15%) from 321 children with acute enteritis.
- Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli and Salmonella species were less common, isolated in 3.4% and 1.9% of cases, respectively.
- Campylobacter enteritis incidence was highest in children under 2 years old.
Findings:
- Diarrhea (94%), fever (50%), and bloody stools (44%) were the predominant symptoms of Campylobacter enteritis.
- All isolated C. jejuni strains demonstrated high sensitivity to gentamicin, amikacin, kanamycin, erythromycin, josamycin, and chloramphenicol.
- Two mild cases of C. enteritis were documented, including a newborn with bleeding stools and diarrhea, and an infant with Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome presenting with asymptomatic bloody stools.
Implications:
- Early identification of Campylobacter jejuni is vital for appropriate treatment of pediatric enteritis.
- Antibiotic sensitivity data guides effective therapeutic strategies for Campylobacter infections in children.
- Understanding the demographic and clinical features of C. enteritis aids in managing outbreaks and improving patient outcomes.
Abstract:
Bacteriological examinations of faecal samples, obtained from 321 infants and children with acute enteritis, were carried out in the pediatric clinic of the University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan from January 1983 to December 1985. Campylobacter jejuni were isolated in 48 infants and children (15%), while Salmonella species in 6 (1.9%), and enteropathogenic Escherichia coli in 11 (3.4%). Of 48 infants and children with Campylobacter enteritis (C. enteritis), 20 cases (42%) were under 2 years old, 17 (35%) from 2 to 6 years old, 8 (17%) from 7 to 12 years old, and 3 (6%) above 13 years old, suggesting the higher incidence in the younger infants and children. There were 30 males and 18 females, male:female ratio of 5:3. No seasonal variations in the frequency of C. enteritis were noticed. Major symptoms were diarrhea (94%), fever (50%), bleeding in stools (44%), abdominal pain (31%), and vomiting (10%). All strains of C. jejuni were highly sensitive to gentamicin, amikacin, kanamycin, erythromycin, josamycin, and chloramphenicol. We also report two typically mild cases of C. enteritis, a newborn infant with monosymptomatic bleeding in stools and diarrhea, and another 11-month-old, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome infant with asymptomatic bloody stools.