title: Bacteria, viruses, yeasts and protozoans associated with diarrheal disease in Singapore.
abstract: Labile toxin producing enterotoxic E. coli (ETEC) were the commonest pathogen isolated from diarrheal stools of hospitalized children (21%) and adults (26%) in Singapore. Salmonellas ranked a close second in children (19%). Other bacterial pathogens were isolated from less than 5% of subjects. Blastocystis hominis was detected in 4.3% of diarrheal stools when a simple sedimentation technique was used. Cryptosporidium was not detected at all. An analysis of yeast counts in smears of diarrheal and non-diarrheal stools suggested they were etiologically associated with at least 6% of diarrhea in children and 19% in adults. Testing for rotaviruses by Latex agglutination and for adenovirus by electronmicroscopy showed an association with 6 per cent and 3 per cent diarrhea respectively. The study highlighted a need for: case control studies on ETEC and B. hominis; studies on the epidemiology of diarrhea by yeasts; establishing the true incidence of adenovirus diarrhea; studies on the prevalence and seasonality of rotavirus infection in Singapore.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mendis
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kumarasinghe
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chow
authors.forename: H Y
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Liew
authors.forename: N P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Ramachandran
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jayawardene
authors.forename: K T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Thong
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Howe
authors.forename: E W
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Zaman
mesh_terms: D000258:Adenovirus Infections, Human / Q000453:epidemiology; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002648:Child; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009181:Mycoses / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D010271:Parasites / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012480:Salmonella Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D012846:Singapore / Q000453:epidemiology; D014780:Viruses / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015003:Yeasts / Q000302:isolation & purification*