Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium africanum in stools from children attending an immunization clinic in Ibadan, Nigeria.
BACKGROUND
Tuberculosis is a major cause of childhood morbidity and mortality in Nigeria. Diagnosis of childhood tuberculosis is a global challenge making early treatment a mirage. In this study we investigated the stools of children for the presence of mycobacteria.


METHODS
Stool samples from children aged 3 days to 3 years who presented for postnatal immunization at a large university-based clinic in Nigeria, were subjected to Ziehl-Neelsen staining. Samples with acid-fast bacilli were further processed using mycobacterial culture, spoligotyping, and deletion typing.


RESULTS
One hundred and ninety-two stool samples from different children were collected and processed. Thirty (15.6%) had acid-fast bacilli. Of these, eight had Mycobacterium tuberculosis and one had Mycobacterium africanum.


CONCLUSIONS
Approximately 5% (9/192) of apparently well children had evidence of potentially serious tuberculosis infection. The usefulness of stool specimens for diagnosing pediatric tuberculosis warrants further investigation.
Cadmus
S I B
SI
Department of Veterinary Public Health & Preventive Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
Jenkins
A O
AO
Godfroid
J
J
Osinusi
K
K
Adewole
I F
IF
Murphy
R L
RL
Taiwo
B O
BO
D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003470:Culture Media; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D009841:Oligonucleotides / Q000032:analysis; D017384:Sequence Deletion; D013333:Student Health Services; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology
D003470:Culture Media; D009841:Oligonucleotides