title: Prevalence of viral, bacterial and parasitic enteropathogens among young children with acute diarrhoea in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
abstract: The prevalence of viral, bacterial and parasitic pathogens among children of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, was investigated. During December 1995-October 1996, 576 faecal samples were collected from children (0-5 year(s) old) suffering from acute diarrhoea and attending hospitals and outpatient clinics in Jeddah. One or more enteropathogen(s) were identified in 45.6% of the stool specimens. Mixed infections were detected in 12.2% of the diarrhoeal cases. Rotavirus was detected in 34.6% of the specimens of the hospitalized patients and in 5.9% of the specimens of the outpatients. Fifty-one percent of the rotavirus-positive specimens were long electropherotype, 26% were short electropherotype, and 23% could not be electropherotyped specifically. Among those of the long electropherotype, there were six patterns; and of the short electropherotypes, there were four patterns. Serotyping of these specimens revealed a distribution of 39.6%, 4.2%, 6.3%, and 15.6% for rotavirus serotype 1, 2, 3, and 4 respectively. Mixed serotypes were found in 3.1%, and 31.3% of the specimens were untypeable. Other aetiologic agents recognized included Escherichia coli (13%), of which 3.8% were enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) and 1.9% enterohaemorrhagic E. coli. Among the E. coli (EPEC) serotypes, O111:K58:B4, O55:K59:B11, and 0127:K63:B8 were found in 31.8%, 18.2%, and 13.6% of the cases respectively. Serotype 026:K60:B6, 0124:K72:B17, and 0112:K66:B11 each was found in 9.1% of the EPEC cases. 0128:K67:B12 and 0125:K70:B13 each was found in one case only. Other detected pathogens were: Klebsiella pneumoniae (4%), Giardia lamblia (3.1%), Salmonella sp. (3%), Shigella flexneri (2.6%), Entamoeba histolytica (2.2%), Trichuris trichiura, Hymenolepis nana, and Ascaris lumbricoides (0.7% each), and Candida albicans (0.5%). Based on the results of this study, it is concluded that the high prevalence of the various enteropathogens among young children is a significant public health problem.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University, PO Box 9029, Jeddah 21413, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: el-Sheikh
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: el-Assouli
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D003968:Diarrhea, Infantile / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000145:classification; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D012703:Serotyping