ETIOLOGY OF DIARRHEA IN CHILDREN LESS THAN FIVE YEARS OF AGE IN IFAKARA, TANZANIA

TLDR

The study collected 451 stool samples from children under five with acute diarrhea in Ifakara, Tanzania, testing for bacterial enteropathogens, parasites, and rotaviruses, and divided the specimens into 348 from the dry season and 103 from the rainy season. Diarrheogenic Escherichia coli (35.7 %) was the predominant pathogen, with enterotoxigenic, enteroaggregative, and enteropathogenic strains most prevalent, and enteroaggregative E.

Abstract

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.