title: Bacterial pathogens associated with bloody diarrhea in Uruguayan children.
abstract: Diarrheal disease continues to be a serious health problem, especially in developing countries. Bloody diarrhea represents approximately 20-30% of all cases and has higher morbidity and mortality. Treatment with antibiotics is beneficial in cases of Shigella, Campylobacter, Yersinia and Salmonella infection, principally in those children with a higher risk of invasive disease. The aims of this study were to detect the bacterial agents associated with bloody diarrhea in children and to determine their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns. Between June 2001 and January 2008, 249 children with bloody diarrhea were studied. Shigella and Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) were recovered from 48 (19.3%) and 3 (1.2%) of the total of cases, respectively. In 49 out of 249 children, in whom other enteropathogens were investigated, we recovered Campylobacter jejuni from 7 children (14.3%), Salmonella spp. from 2 (4.1%) and Aeromonas spp. from 1 (2%) in addition to Shigella from 7 children (14.3%). Thirty-four (70%) Shigella isolates showed resistance to ampicillin and 13 (27%) to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. All Shigella isolates were susceptible to nalidixic acid, ciprofloxacin and ceftriaxone. Salmonella and STEC isolates were susceptible to all antibiotics assayed. Thus, the use of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole or ampicillin would not be appropriate for the empirical treatment of Shigella - associated diarrhea.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bacteriología y Virología, Facultad de Medicina, Instituto de Higiene Arnoldo Berta, Montevideo, 11600, Uruguay.
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Mota
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Gadea
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pardo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sirok
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rivas
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Algorta
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schelotto
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Varela
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016123:Campylobacter jejuni / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006471:Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology*; D006092:Gram-Negative Facultatively Anaerobic Rods / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D014583:Uruguay / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents