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Campylobacter jejuni enteritis in children
Insights
Campylobacter jejuni is a common cause of bacterial diarrhea in children in Taiwan. This study found it in 5.6% of acute diarrhea cases, primarily affecting young males during summer months.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric infectious diseases
- Microbiology
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Campylobacter jejuni is increasingly recognized as a significant cause of diarrheal illness in pediatric populations.
- Understanding the epidemiology and clinical features of Campylobacter enteritis is crucial for public health management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence and characteristics of Campylobacter jejuni infections in children with acute diarrhea in Taiwan.
- To evaluate the antibiotic susceptibility patterns of isolated Campylobacter jejuni strains.
Main Methods:
- Prospective isolation of Campylobacter jejuni from stool samples of pediatric patients presenting with acute diarrhea over a nine-month period (March-December 1981).
- Selective culture techniques were employed for pathogen identification.
- Antimicrobial susceptibility testing (antibiograms) was performed on isolated strains.
Main Results:
- Campylobacter jejuni was identified in 35 out of 623 (5.6%) pediatric patients with acute diarrhea.
- Peak incidence occurred during summer months (May-August), with a higher prevalence in very young children (10 days to 8 years) and a male-to-female ratio of 4:1.
- Common clinical signs included fever and frequent diarrhea; most cases resolved with conservative management. Aminoglycosides, Chloramphenicol, Ampicillin, and Erythromycin were effective, though 13.4% of strains showed erythromycin resistance.
Conclusions:
- Campylobacter jejuni is a prevalent cause of bacterial diarrhea among children in Taiwan.
- The pathogen predominantly affects young children, particularly males, during warmer months.
- While generally not severe, understanding antibiotic sensitivities is important for effective treatment, with emerging resistance noted for erythromycin.
Abstract:
Campylobacter jejuni has been recently recognized as a frequent cause of diarrheal disease in infants and children. To assess its importance as an enteric pathogen in this area, in our pediatric laboratory, campylobacter jejuni was isolated by selective culture from 35 out of 623 (5.6%) patients with a history of acute diarrhea between March 1981 to December 1981. The peak incidence was in the summer (from May to August), age ranged from 10 days to 8 years, with the high incidence in the very young children. The sex ratio of male to female was four : one. In general, Campylobacter enteritis is not a severe disease and not associated with dehydration. The most common signs were fever & frequent diarrhea. Most of the children recovered spontaneously on conservative management. The antibiograms for 30 strains showed that the Aminoglycosides, Chloramphenicol, Ampicillin, Erythromycin were the most effective drugs. Resistance to erythromycin was found in 13.4% of our series. This study shows campylobacter is the common cause of bacterial diarrhea in Taiwan.