title: Profiles of enteropathogens in asymptomatic children from indigenous communities of Mérida, Venezuela.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In Latin America, gastrointestinal infections represent one of the main causes of death among indigenous groups, with a mortality rate three times greater than in the general population. In this study, the carrier state of enteropathogens and the epidemiological risk factor in asymptomatic children from indigenous communities of Mérida, Venezuela, were determined.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-eight healthy children, 5 years of age and under, were clinically and epidemiologically evaluated. Fecal samples were tested for a range of classic enteropathogens. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests (AST) were performed by dilution methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the specimens studied, there were 34 (58.6%) positive samples, and a single enteropathogen was detected in 22 (64.6%) of these. Associations of two and three enteropathogens were observed in 10 (29.3%) and two (5.8%) cases, respectively. Blastocystis hominis (16; 47.0%) and Salmonella spp. (15; 43.9%) were the most frequently detected enteropathogens. Carriage of enteropathogens was most frequent in children older than two years. The variety of food in the daily diet was the risk factor strongly associated with the presence of parasites and/or enteric bacteria (p = 0.024 < 0.05 and p = 0.000 < 0.05, respectively). The majority of these bacteria were susceptible to the antibiotics tested in vitro.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study shows a high prevalence of enteropathogen carriage in asymptomatic children aged five and under from indigenous communities; this result is statistically related to the consumption of food. These findings stress the need of continuous epidemiological surveillance in vulnerable populations, as an important step to prevent the morbidity and mortality due to gastrointestinal infections.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Síndromes Gastrointestinales y Urinarios Lic. Luisa Vizcaya, Universidad de Los Andes, Mérida, Venezuela.
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Velasco
authors.forename: Fanny
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: Tulia
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Díaz
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Peña-Guillén
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Araque
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D058345:Asymptomatic Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016845:Blastocystis hominis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D012475:Salmonella / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014687:Venezuela / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents