title: Rotavirus type A and other enteric pathogens in stool samples from children with acute diarrhea on the Colombian northern coast.
abstract: The present study, conducted from March 1998 to July 2000, determined the etiology of acute diarrhea in 253 young children and infants from Cartagena and Sincelejo, Colombia. In 253 stool samples, the following enteric pathogens were recovered: rotavirus type A (36.6%) as the major agent, Salmonella spp (9.0%), Shigella spp (8.0%), enteric pathogenic Escherichia coli (6.0%), enteric hemorragic Esc. coli (2.8%), Providencia alcalifaciens (2.8%), Aeromonas hydrophila (2.0%), Yersinia enterocolitica (0.8%), Entamoeba hystolitica (10%), Giardia lamblia (4%), Endolimax nana (3.2%), Ascaris lumbricoides (2.8%), Ent. coli (1.2%), Balantidium coli (0.8%), Blastocystis hominis (0.8%), Dypilidium caninum (0.4%) and hook worm sp. (0.4%). Infection with more than one pathogen occurred in 96 (37.9%) patients. Rotavirus and enteric pathogenic Esc. coli were frequent. Concurrent infection by more than one parasite occurred in 18.6% of the infants. Most rotavirus infections (76.7%) occurred in infants under 12 months. Vomiting, severe dehydration and fever were frequent in children with rotavirus infection. At least one fecal marker of inflammatory diarrhea was registered in patients with bacterial infection. To our knowledge, this is first report of P. alcalifaciens associated with infantile diarrhea in Colombia and the first description of Esc. coli O157:H7 and Y. enterocolitica in our region.
authors.affiliation: Sección de Microbiología, Laboratorio del Posgrado de Microbiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Cartagena, Campus de Zaragocilla, Apartado Aéreo 0506, Cartagena, Colombia. durbina@enred.com
authors.forename: Delfina
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Urbina
authors.forename: Octavio
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Arzuza
authors.forename: Gregorio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: Edgar
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Parra
authors.forename: Raimundo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Puello
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D002648:Child; D003105:Colombia / Q000453:epidemiology; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000821:virology*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007249:Inflammation / Q000175:diagnosis; D007422:Intestines / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D010271:Parasites / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010272:Parasitic Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D014780:Viruses / Q000302:isolation & purification