Etiology of diarrhea in children less than five years of age in Ifakara, Tanzania.
A total of 451 stool specimens were collected from children less than five years of age with acute diarrhea from Ifakara, Tanzania and processed to detect bacterial enteropathogens, parasites, and rotaviruses. These specimens were divided into 348 from the dry season and 103 from the rainy season. Overall, diarrheogenic Escherichia coli (35.7%) were the predominant enteropathogens, with enterotoxigenic E. coli, enteroaggregative E. coli, and enteropathogenic E. coli being the most prevalent. Moreover, enteroaggregative E. coli (63% versus 35.5%; P < 0.05), Shigella spp. (24% versus 12%; P < 0.05), and rotavirus (23% versus 4%; P < 0.05) were more prevalent in the dry season than in the rainy season and enterotoxigenic E. coli (51.6% versus 20%; P < 0.05) and Giardia lamblia (14% versus 1%; P < 0.05) were more prevalent in the rainy season.
Vargas
Martha
M
Department of Microbiology, Tropical Medicine Unit, and Epidemiology and Bioestadistics Section, Institut d'Investigacions Biomediques August Pí i Sunyer, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain.
Gascon
Joaquim
J
Casals
Climent
C
Schellenberg
David
D
Urassa
Honorati
H
Kahigwa
Eliseus
E
Ruiz
Joaquim
J
Vila
Jordi
J
D000818:Animals; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D016829:Giardia lamblia / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012760:Shigella / Q000302:isolation & purification