title: [Aeromonas spp asociated to acute diarrheic disease in Cuba: case-control study].
abstract: The members of the genus Aeromonas are currently considered important gastrointestinal pathogens in different geographical areas. From February 1985 to January 2005 several case-control studies were coordinated by the National Reference Laboratory for Diarrheal Diseases from the Pedro Kouri Institute. The study purpose was to analyze a possible pathogenic role for Aeromonas spp in Cuban children with acute diarrhea. In that period 2,322 children less than 5 years old with acute diarrhea were studied for diarhoeal pathogens and another group of 2,072 non hospitalized children without diarrhea during the similar time from the same geographical areas and matched by ages were recruited. In the group of children with diarrheas (cases), Aeromonas spp. was isolated in 166 (7.15%) and in the control group the microorganism was found in only 35 (1.76%). When Aeromonas isolation rates were compared between both groups, we found that probability to isolate this specie was significantly higher in cases than in controls (OR = 4.48, 95% IC: 3.05-6.60; P < 0.001). The Aeromonas species more frequently isolated were A. caviae, A. hydrophila, and A. veronii bv sobria. Other enteric pathogens detected in children with diarrhea were: Shigella spp in 418 (18%) (P < 0.0001), Salmonella spp in 53 (2.3%) (P < 0.01), and enteropathogenic E. coli in 58 (2.49%) (P < 0.05).
authors.affiliation: Hospital Dr Salvador Allende, La Habana, Cuba. laura@ipk.sld.cu
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bravo
authors.forename: Anabel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.forename: Fidel Á
authors.initials: FÁ
authors.lastname: Núñez
authors.forename: Luis A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Rivero
authors.forename: Margarita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ramírez
authors.forename: Adalberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aguila
authors.forename: Yudith
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ledo
authors.forename: Yanaika
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cruz
authors.forename: Jenny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hernández
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000333:Aeromonas / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003462:Cuba; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000382:microbiology*; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans