title: A comparison of the prevalence of campylobacter, Shigellae and Salmonellae in faeces of malnourished and well nourished children in The Gambia and Northern Nigeria.
abstract: The proportion of children in whom bacterial pathogens were isolated in faeces was compared in 59 malnourished and 59 age-matched well nourished children in Fajara, The Gambia, with 38 malnourished and 38 age-matched well nourished children in Malumfashi, Northern Nigeria. Campylobacters were identified more frequently in malnourished (10.2%) and well nourished (6.8%) children in The Gambia than in malnourished (2.6%) and well nourished (2.6%) children in Nigeria. Salmonellae were more frequently isolated in the malnourished Nigerian children (28.9%) than in the malnourished Gambian children (3.4%) and were present in similar proportions (5.1% and 5.3%) in well nourished children in both communities. Shigellae were isolated in a few individuals in each group. The differences in the epidemiology of these enteropathogens are discussed with respect to the differences in ecology between these two sub-Saharan, savanna communities.
mesh_terms: D002167:Campylobacter / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002648:Child; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D005714:Gambia; D006801:Humans; D009549:Nigeria; D009748:Nutrition Disorders / Q000382:microbiology*; D012475:Salmonella / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012760:Shigella / Q000302:isolation & purification*