Enteropathogens Associated with Childhood Diarrheal Cases seen at a Tertiary Hospital in Nguru, Yobe State of Nigeria

Aim: Childhood diarrheal diseases are common clinical episodes seen among children under 5 years old in the developing countries of sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Epidemiological information of enteropathogens associated with childhood diarrhea will provides clinical information to alliterate and enhance effective therapy management in our hospital.

Study Design: Retrospective analysis of enteropathogens associated with childhood diarrheal cases.

Place and Duration: The study was carried out in Federal Medical Centre, Nguru, over one year period from January to December, 2010.

Methodology: Fecal specimens were collected from patients presented with childhood diarrheal symptoms seen at the tertiary hospital at Nguru, Nigeria over the study period. Standard microbiological methods were employed in the enteropathogens detection. A total of 144 diarrheic fecal specimens were examined for existence of enteropathogens. The breakdowns of associated clinical diagnosis are as follows, gastroenteritis, 14 (9.7%), diarrhea, 80 (55.6%), dysentery, 31 (21.5%) and mucoid/bloody stool, 19 (13.2%).

Results: Of the 144 specimens analysed, enteropathogens were found in 89 (61.8%), 41 (46.1%) parasites and 48 (53.9%) bacterial cases respectively. Only two bacterial groups were identified, 43 (29.9%) were Escherichia coli and 5 (3.5%) belonged to Shigella spp. Among the parasites, Enteamoeba histolytica was the most prevalent (31 isolates, 21.5%), followed by Ascaris lumbricoides with 7 isolates (4.9%), Taenia saginata with 2 isolates (1.4%) and Hookworm with only 1 isolate (0.4%). Statistical significant difference was observed when the isolation frequency of enteropathogens was compared with the age-group and associated clinical diagnosis of the patients (p<0.02). Co-infections were observed in 16 (12.2%) cases, including 10 (62.5%) cases of E. coli / E. histolytica and one case (6.3%) of A. lumbricoides and Shigella spp.

Conclusion: The frequency of enteropathogens detected in this study was similar with those reported in other studies. In addition, it provides the epidemiological information on enteropathogens associated with childhood diarrhea in the studied region and serves as a guide to pediatricians towards empirical therapy