Bacteria, viruses, yeasts and protozoans associated with diarrheal disease in Singapore.
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.
Mendis
L
L
Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Kumarasinghe
G
G
Chow
C
C
Liew
H Y
HY
Ramachandran
N P
NP
Jayawardene
K
K
Thong
K T
KT
Howe
J L
JL
Lim
E W
EW
Zaman
V
V
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*